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Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1920, Page 2

The most serious danger to the settlement of the affairs of tile world contemplated by the Peace Treaties lias now centred on Warsaw. Poland was made, as it were, the pivot of the wjiple scheme, and the pivot is in danger <)f being ground to pieces. Poland, comments an exchange begat; the work of the war wit}; mors? energy, courage and definite purpose than any of,her country, and received material, help from the Allies. Germany opposed, in sulky rage, ivjth surreptitious assistance to Russia', and, after some friction, was ordered to withdraw her troops and compelled to drop her aggressive policy. Russia, op the other hand, was from the first determined to crush Roland. That reviving nation stood in the way of the westward march of Bolshevism. The campaign undertaken for that purpose failed by reason of the failure of the expected German co-operation. (Close on the faijure of the Spartacjst outbreak in Germany came the great anti-Bolshe-vik movement in Russia, with Kolchak and Deni ken and \Yrnngel at its head. That movement', half-heartedly supported by the Allies failed, and the Russian BoJshcVilfs were left free to pursue their designs against Poland. The Poles determined to ojret the enemy, I and, carrying the war into ids country attained a phenomenal success, driving the Red armies deep into Russian territory. The first consequence was the revival of General Wrangel’s anti-Bol-shevik movement in the Crimen. That commander, relieved from the pressure of the vast Russian concentration, obtained substantial increase of his forces and gujned some remarkable victories, thereby consolidating his position greatly. But the Poles, on their side had gone too deeply into the vast spaces of the Russian interior, contrary, to the warning given them by Marshal Focli, who reminded them that the task had proved too heavy for the greatest master of war. The Russian people, having come to the conclusion that the anti-Bolshevik movements were simply reactionary, kept up the strength of the Red armies; and the movement was greatly helped by the peasantry who had broken the Bolshevist policy of nationalising the lands by seizing great territories as proprietors. The Red armies, turned their chief attention to the Poles, very soon succeeded in driving them out of 'Russia, not without very serious fighting. The Allies intervened without effect, a* the cables informed us, and to-day the Polish armies are back in Polish territory, exhausted, and the Red armies are within springing distance of Warsaw. The Polish harvests, on which so much depended have fallen into their hands and once more Poland is menaced with conquest, spoliation and enslavement. An armistice is under discussion, but the march of the Red armies continues. As one of the conditions of peace, the Reds demand the surrender of General Wrangel, but how to conyiel a soldier at the head of a power® victorious army to surrender is a not vetsolved. As master of the situation in Crimea, Wrangel may prove a valuable asset for the Polish cause. Another condition is the instalment of a Soviet Government in Poland, with a revolutionary tribunal under ono of the most blood-thirsty cut-throats that Bolshevism lias produced. It is a terrible prospect for a country which has survived the oppression of three empires. The prospect is all the more terrible,

because the stability and independence of Poland is guaranteed by the Allies. It .is particularly deplorable, because Poland, the pivot and buttress of their Eastern policy of regeneration and peace is threatened with destruction. The League of Nations, Lord

Robert cCcil declares ought not to lie . blamed, for Poland did not take the*' advice of the Allies. But just at prc- ' sent the League of Nations is not to be relied on to do more than advise. Backing up advice with force is out of the League’s power, and there are people who think that will always be. At all events, the Allies have determined to send munitions* and other help, and, of course, the way is open. The one encouraging sign is Marshal Focli’s statement that Poland is a long way from being beaten. The Polish people are in accord for the men are joining the armies and the women offering for all work in their power. They know that defeat by the Bolsheviks means the end of their freedom, the beginning of an era of cruelty, injustice, and tyranny worse than anything in their history, or, indeed in the history of mankind. They know, moreover, and the whole worid agrees with them, that the overthrow of their country will in all probability lose to the world all the fruits of the great victory won by the Allies over the tyranny and oppression of a Power determined to devastate the world. If Poland does not win through now, the devastation of the world is at hand, with a tremendous disaster, economic, social and political.