POLISH MOBILISATION.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 69, 21 March 1919, Page 5

POLISH MOBILISATION.

TO CHECK BOLSHEVISM. FIVE CLASSES CALLED UP. i Rpceived o.'>o a.m.) LONDON. March 20. The Polish Parliament decided, amid a prono of enthusiasm, to mobilise live classes of the forces to check liolslievism. The Poles have drhen the Bolsheviks out of rinsk. —(A. and N.Z. ( able.) Poland Las been under the threat nf Bolahevism over since t'ne Russian coilapse. and she has been destitute of adequate means of self-defence. When the armistice was concluded it possessed only ROOO recognised troops and ID.IHHI secretly organised militia men. To-day the army, imperfectly trained, numbers some 50.000. but it is devoid of sufficient nrms, ammunition, food and money, it is a political rather than n military furee. and cannot cope with the Hermans and funds am: are zealously ajjitat ir among Bolsheviks, who are well supplied with the population. When the Herman troops »vacuat<-d the territory Bolshevik bands occupied their place. Foreseeing this danger, the Allied fiovernments stipulated that evacuation should be deferred until an opportune moment, and tliaf they should have access to these territories, in order to supply the population with food and maintain order, bill the Oerman revolution nullified the first precaution, and lack of enerjry neutralised the other. In six provinces (Irrnian troops tn'nted with Bolshevism remains.l. and, having organised Soldier*' ("oiincils, pillaged and burned private property, and massacred many inhabitants mi their march into Kaotern Prussia. More to tlie east, well-armed BoNhevik-tronps followed the ("ierniiins ami eompleteil t!,- (- work of destruction. The Poles. <m t!>.other hand, were unable to r:ii<c a suiTi ciently powerful army to hinder tln»ir advance. Thu» all t'le territory ea«t of the ancient kingdom .>f Poland i- exposed to a Bolshevik invasion, and the kingdom itself is menaced by a Bolshevik revolu tion. owing to emitiiiuous Ru>.«ian propaganda, and to th" release of nearly 2.(100.0(1(1 prisoners uf war. These prisoners, who cannot lie conveyed by railway nor fed by the aut horit ie-. are banded in firoii|)s and march about the country, robbing ami burning!. At the same time, largo nunilwro of Pedes who weie forced to work in ijermany ilurinjr the war an- being sent home, where, finding neither iM-cujintion nor food., thoy are drawn into the revolutionary vortex. IJeneral Miller's P..lee, trained in I'rance. are now in Poland, and this force will form the nucleus r>f an army which Pilsudski, the Socialist Premier, is now raising by conscription.