The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1919. POLAND REGAINS INDEPENDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1919. POLAND REGAINS INDEPENDENCE.

The news that came from "Warsaw last week concerning the great popular demonstration on the occasion of the opening of the Polish Diet, brings to mind the fact that for nearly a century and a half the Poles have suffered at the hands of their oppressors—the Prussians, the Austrians and the Russians. Considering that there are about twelve millions of people who speak the Polish language there should be little wonder at the manifestations of joy among the Poles at the prospect of once more becoming an independent nation. It was in 1772 that the first partition of Poland occurred, in which Russia took White Russia and all the part beyond the Dnieper, while Prussia annexed certain provinces, and Austria acquired Red Russia (or Galacia) with parts of Podolia and Little Poland. In 1795 the final partition took place, though a fresh settlement was made by the treaty of Vienna in 1874, and so vanished the Polish Kingdom. The late war, by destroying the power of Germany, Austria and Russia has opened up a new prospect for the Poles. At one time during struggle they, were

forced into Germany's aims, but it was so plainly evident that the Teutons object was to increase their armies by Polish levies that the Poles held off, and now they realise their time has come. They have already taken steps to form a Government with the famous Paderewski as Premier, and that Government has been recognised by the Allies. It must not, however, be assumed that the troubles of the Poles are over, for in the light of their past history they liuve much to learn, and more to unlearn. At the same time much depends on whether there will be greater sympathy than formerly between the so-called aristocrats and the people. Under a sane democratic Government the Poles should have a chance of making good as a nation, and the League of Nations should afford them the necessary protection until they are firmly set upon their feet. The old Polish patriots looked and longed for the day of rehabiliation. That day has arrived, having been ushered in with rejoicings that but faintly indicate the feelings which must animate these greatly oppressed people. If they have only learned the lessons of adversity rightly, a bright era should be in store for the Poles. What the German feeling on the matter is is evidenced by the way ir. which hostilities have been carried on against the Poles in spite of the terms of the armistice and of the strong protests by the Allies. The new terms, however, provide for the absolute cessation of hostilities by Germany while the Poles have been given to understand that acts of aggression will prejudice their national claims. The Allies and the Peace Congress will accomplish a good work in freeing the Poles from domination, but a readjustment of territory so as to free all the Poles from being under the Germans or leaving all the Germans outside the Polish dominion will be a task that will be almost impossible. The Poles have already reached almost to the towns of Breslau and Posen, though they have traversed little country not ethnically Polish. There are about 3,500,000 Poles under German rale. From the Vistula to Posen there is a strip of territory predominantly Polish, which must be detached from Germany, but north of Posen the population becomes much more mixed. There is a Polish belt following the frontier of East Prussia, and another running north from Thorn to reach the Baltic Sea west of Danzig. Between the two is a considerable tract of East Prussia, which is preponderatingly German. Danfig itself is almost wholly German, containing only 10 per cent, of Poles ir, a population of 150,00u, i ut it ia almost the only port that can be used to gratify the Polish aspiration for an outlet to the sea, so that the delimitation of boundaries between Germany and the Poles vHI be by no means easy as no line can be drawn on the map that does not place something like a million Poles under German rule, or a similar number, of Germans under Polish rule. Some line of compromise appears probable, and that would seem to be the best than can be done under the circumstances.