The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1829. THE FAIR LAND OF POLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 November 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1829. THE FAIR LAND OF POLAND.

.Marshal Pilsurski, who came into power in Polfind three years ago as toe outcome of a coup u’etat, lias been engaged so repeatedly in squabbles with the. advocates of constitutional government that the events which have been reported in recent cable messages indicating that liis position is as precarious as ever will hardly have excited much surprise. The opposition forces, led by the Socialists, have become holder in expressing their resentment ol Pilsudski’s high-handed methods, and there have been signs that the Marshal’s power is failing with his health. Mr iiernard Slniw lias revealed, says an exchange, that Pilsudski’s character was the inspiration for the good and wise King Magnus in ‘The Apple (’art,” the satire on democracy which is now being produced at Home. King Magnus is surrounded by a foolish Cabinet, of Alin-

isters, including even a foolish Socialist Minister, in a Etonian future .where only the less sane portion of the community takes part in Parliamentary elections. Mr. Shaw finds Pilsudski a good and wise ruler because lie has made no change in the polit.cal structure of the State, but “had a general election and afterwards adjourned Parliament and, tdhlc power into his own hands.” Since''Mr Shaw wrote “The Apple Cart,” however, a new Cabinet has taken office in Poland, following upon Pilsudski’s outburst in which he described the Sejm as a “zco full of monkeys,” and upon M. Bartel’s resignation of the premiership. Nevertheless,. Marshal Pilsudski’A antipathy to parliamcntiVi-y institution is notorious, and the cablegrams reporting the military occupation of the parliamentary lobby echo doubts that were expressed by the Warsaw correspondent of the New York Times, in the statement that the marshal is hard beset by his opponents and, owing to poor health, is losing his grip on the reins of government. The fate of a regime in Poland which the Manchester Guardian rails “a kind of semi-military Fascist directorate” still bangs in the balance, but increasing discontent in Poland seems to make it necessary for Marshal Pilsudski either to assert an open dictatorship or to submit to a return to responsible Cabinet Government in place of the prc'ent system oi veiled dictatorship - behind the parliamentarv facade.