POLISH ADVANCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18411, 18 May 1920, Page 5

POLISH ADVANCE.

VIEWS IN BRITAIN

PUBLIC MEN DISCUSS THE QUESTION.

By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright,

(Imperial liens Service-I LONDON, May 15. The Lsague of Nations’ Union publishes correspondence between Lord Robert Cecil and Earl Curzon on the subject oi the Polish advance. Lord Robert Cecil, writing on May 3, strongly condemns the Polish offensive, and hopes that the British Government will immediately summon the Council of the League of Nations to deal with the situation. Earl Curzon replied on May 12. He denied that Poland had been preparing to attack Russia for months past, ana declared that the endeavours of the Poles to open peace negotiations were genuine, and were only abandoned when tho Poles learned that the Bolsheviks were concentrating, opposite their front, large supplies of guns and materials captured from General Denikin. Earl Curzon says it is impossible to invoke the intervention of the League of Nations to check an offensive in an unfinished war. The League of Nations would be in a difficult position if it attempted to mediate between Poland and the Russian Government, which does not recognise the League’s authority. Earl Curzon disagrees with Lord Robert Cecil’s view that Esthonia and Latvia are hostile to PolandLord Robert Cecil replied on May 13 dwelling on the disease, starvation and misery’ of Eastern Europe, and hoping that even now steps would be taken to retrieve tho position.

KIEFF UNDER. THE BOLSHEVIKS. “ Tho Times ” Service. WARSAW, May 16. Kieff shows melancholy signs of Bolshevik occupation, factories silent and decaying, shpps shut and smashed, the University deserted, the water supply station wrecked, everywhere filth and disorder- Tho Bolsheviks left many wounded, shot down by their own ma-chine-guns. The Polish advance on the Dnieper was strongly resisted at only two points, one where a Chineses regiment held a position to tho last man, and the second where several armoured ears, manned by Germans, fought their way through after being cut off Russian regiments broko under the first shock, and surrendered when outmanoeuvred.