Evening star., 1939-12-08
Versailles Treaty
Freed Of War Blame
AtG. W.Forum
Officials Of Polish,
French and British
Embassy Speakers

A representative group Of the stu
dents body and faculty as we'll as
the student council Of George WASH
ington University today was trying
hard not to let itself adhere too
much to the viewpoint Of the allies
In the present war.
For those in the group heard last
night the respective positions of
Poland, France and Great Britain
reflected In the words Of three men
recommended by the embassies OF
the three nations and were attempt
ing to decide whether to accept or
reject their views.
They heard, for instance, that the
Versailles Treaty was emphatically
not the cause for Germany's al
legged stricken condition under
democratic rule and for its resort to
Hitlerism as the only solution,
proposition long dinned into the
ears OF Americans by German
propagandists." according to Leon
Dostert, q member of the French
Embassy stan and head Of the De-
partment Of Modern Languages at
Georgetown University.
They heard Count Anthony
Tarnaski, second secretary of the
Polish Embassy, say that Poland
was justified in acquiring slice OF
Cxecho- -Slovakia and they heard
Dr.. Brimley Thomas, lecturer from
London University. tell them the
Germans, "the poor dears," had no
leg to stand on when it came to
complaining they had no access to
raw materials and that their need
for "liebensraum" Is the bunk.
German Side Not Heard.
Undercover investigation on the
part of the student council, whose
forum on the European war it was
that the three men addressed, had
revealed that to have a German
speaker would not be polite. The
members of the council had already
experienced having japanese and
Chinese speakers together at SIM
liar forum, with results which it was
desired not to have repeated. There
fore, they did not hear the German
side of the question.
First speaker on last nights pro-
gram, held in the new Hall Of Gov
ernment, was Count Tarnaski. He
reviewed the background OF Poland's
present plight and had little trou-
bic convincing his audience that an
act of aggression had been COM
mitted against that nation.
His troubles did not start until
later, when written questions were
sent up from the floor, one Of which
caled on him to justify Poland's
taking a slice of Czecho-Slovakia
after Munich.
Predominantly Polish.
Applause greeted the posing Of
the question and Count Tarnaski's
explanation, which received no fur
ther formal attention during the
forum, was that that portion Of
Czecho- o-Slovakia taken was pre-
dominantly Polish and had been
quietly annexed by the Czechs when
Poland was making a bitter de-
tense against the Bolsheviks in 1920.
Poland had not. he said, tried to
take this land back afterward, as 1t
did not want to commit an act Of
aggression, although it realized,
Count Tarnash said, that the Poles
in this section were not being
treated right by the Czechs. How
ever, when there was no more
Czecho-Slovakia, Poland saw no
reason why it should not take back
that which was Polish and which
wanted to return to Poland.
This question was followed by
another, which called on the count
to explain why Poland had not gone
to Czecho-Slovakia's aid after
Munich. Poland saw that the
Czechs were not willing to fight and
knew that the western powers were
not ready either, he said.
Count Tarnaski seemed to think
that If the allies win some sort of
Slavic federation, patterned after
>the United States, might be set up
to include Poles, Ruthenians, Uk-
rainians, Czechs, Slovaks, Let's,
Lithuanians, Estonians, White Rus
SLAMS and others.
Reflects Previous Views.
In giving Great Britain's and
Frances points of view DR.. Thomas
and Mr.. Donsert reflected in the
main the views already expounded
by their respective governments.
Great Britain is like some one
who has decided to undergo a sur
eical operation for its own health,
not some one, who is going hunting
for its own health" DR.. Thomas
said.
DR.. Thomas emphatically denied
that Germany had been put upon
economically by Great Britain.
"How can raw materials countries
trade with q nation which is at
tempting at every turn to insulate
herself, to become self-sufhcient as
q prepara. .on for WARP" he asked.
Mr.. Donsert, in blasting the the
ory that the Versailles treaty
brought on the present war, said
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