Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-14
MINORITY ISSUE DELAYS
REAL PEACE In EUROPE
Question Raised in Poland Brings World
Attention and Becomes Ma jor Post
War Problem Abroad.

have common frontier with Russia.
Therefore, they would welcome the in
cluSicn of Eastern Galicia within the
frontiers of new, nationalistic Russia,
which they hope will one day emerge
from the present chaos. Prague, con-
Sequently, is a third center of intrigue
against Polish rule in Eastern Galicia.
But the very fact that foreign intrigue
is seeking to exploit the Ukrainian mi
nority in Poland drives the Polish Gov
eminent to take aStic steps, although
P1lSud6ki has always sought to avoid re-
presSionS and has cherished vague no.
tionS of giving Polish Ukrainians a
wide measure of autonomy through
some federal system. And the present
uproar is plainly the result Of Polish
counter offensive directed against dis
order and sabotage by Ukrainian groups,
disorder Enthusiastically stimulated by
economic depression.
Here, however, is the very heart of
the minority problem. The persecution
or oppression of minoritieS. in Europe
today arises very little from any spon-
taneous purposes to crush out race con-
seriousness, but mainly as a result of the
fears excited by the exploitation of
minorities by foreign countries. If mi
noritieS once and for all abandoned
their desire for political separation, if
their fellow racists beyond frontiers
gave up the hope of liberating their lost
brethren, the minority issue would dis
appear.
But nothing is less likely Minorities
continue to demand freedom, their race
brethren continue to work for such lib
Grafton, and the rivals or foes of any
people having an ethnic minority take
advantage of this to hamper and break
down the national unity and security of
the rival. Thus the existence of mi
nority becomes the gravest peril to the
security of the country and the first
concern of those charged with main
tanning its unity.
Criticism of League Heard.
. Much criticism of the failure of the
League of Nations to protect minorities
is heard from time to time, but in fact
the League can do nothing, because 1t
has no authority and no means of en-
forcing its will upon sovereign states.
Moreover, it is handicapped because mi
norities themselves are invariably guilty
of acts which constitute treason to the
state under whose laws they live, but
whose moral right to rule them. they do
not recognize.
In recent days, for exampl, Italy
has been carrying on a drastic cam
paign of repression against Slav leaders
about Trieste, where there is actually
Slav majority. There have been exc
cutions and prison sentences, but what
the SlavS have done is only a faithful
repetition Of Italian performance in the
days when Austrian bayonets were in
Milan and Venice.
Today the Galician question does not
ri to- major proportions. Poland has
the means and the will to break local
disorders and punish the leaders. To-
morrow perhaps a Ukrainian rebellion
against Soviet rule will permit Poland
to aid in the creation of an indepen.
against Soviet rule will permit Poland
will certainly have to cede certain lands
now in her possession in Polesia and
Volhynia, and perhaps lands in Eastern
Galicia. Such sacrifice most intelligent
Poles foresee.
But in the East of Europe minorities
are bound to continue because peoples
are so hopeleSsly mixed. And real peace
will wait upon adjustments between
peoples themselves. which will abolish
alien rulers and all fear on the part of
these rulers that the aspiration of mi
norities, fomented and encouraged
abroad, will destroy national unity.
Meantime as long as minoritieS are a
peril they will be prosecuted at home
and cannot be protected from abroad.
1t is all piece of hopeless madness,
viewed oDJecJlVely. FOTelgn Summation
produces domestic disorder; domestic
disorder leads to vigorous repression
and persecution; repression and perse-
cution in turn fill the world with its
echoes. foment passions, eXacerbate ma
tionalism, leave only ruin and bitter
ness in their train. But it admits Of
no solution, because on the one hand
every nation is determined to preserve
its unity, while on the other every race
is determined to seek liberty and unity,
and the two purposes, equally founded
upon universally recognized right and
justice, are irreconcilahle. And the
Eastern Galician episode is only de-
tail. wholly similar to those OF the
Polish Corridor, of Pennsylvania, OF
Macedonia. It is really only another
indication of the condition of contem-
porary Europe.
tCopyright. 1902