POLAND AND GALICIA

Southland Times, Issue 18745, 3 December 1919, Page 5

POLAND AND GALICIA

ARMY READY TO FIGHT REDS PREPARED TO MARCH ON PETROGRAD (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, November 2S. The Morning Post’s Warsaw correspondent sums up the situation in Poland. He says that M. Paderewski’s position is hopeless and his resignation is expected any day, owing to failure to secure East Galicia from the Allies. France and the United States are willing, but Britain refused. The Polish army made great sacrifices to secure East-- Galicia. There is an intense public feeling that the sacrifices should not have been made in vain. The Poles arc willing to march to Petrograd against the Bolsheviks, but require the Allies’ mandate, financial assistance, and recognition of their claims to East Galicia. The Polish army consists of 600,000, which is the largest standing army in the world to-day. It is admirably drilled by France and equipped by the United States. The Poles now hold the Beresina River and Dvinsk, and thus are favourably placed to operate against Petrograd and Moscow. The snow and ice in December provide favourable campaigning conditions. KOLTCHAK’S COLLAPSE. WASHINGTON, December I. Koltchak’s forces have collapsed. The Japanese are contemplating taking over the defence of Siberia. REDS AND ESTHONIA. STOCKHOLM, November 28. Received December .3, 1.55 a.m. It is expected that an armistice between Eathonia and Russia will be signed shortly. Russia insists on the right to use the port GERMANY LOOKING EAST. AN OFFER TO PETLURA. c (Reuter's Telegrams.) LONDON, November 29. Received December 2, 7.25 p.m. • Polish sources report that a German mission sought an agreement with Petlura under which the Germans undertook to organise an army of 80,000 under Field Marshal von Mackensen for the Ukraine, the Ukrainians concluding a commercial agreement with Germany for a period of fifteen years. Petlura refused owing to want of confidence in Germany. THE ENTENTE’S DELAYS. GERMANY COMPLAINS. LONDON, November 28. Received December 2, 11.30 p.m. The German official comment on the delay in signing the protocol to the Peace Treaty is strongly worded. It declares that the Entente has no power to retain war prisoners pending Germany’s surrender of dredges, docks and cranes, without which German industrial life can hardly exist. It complains that Germany has been asked to buy the prisoners back twice over and that she has no security that she will not be compelled to do the same again. The German Government will not take further risk on such uncertain legal foundations.. POURPARLERS WITH HUNGARY. PARIS, December 1. The Supreme Council has decided to open peace pourparlers with Hungary. EUROPE’S ECONOMIC TROUBLES. LONDON, November 28. Received December 3, 12.40 a.m. The Supreme Economic Council has derided to submit definite plans within a month for the amelioration of Europe’s .Konomic situation. In the meantime emergency arrangements are being made to relieve food conditions in Austria and Armenia. HUNGARY SHORT OF COAL, RAILWAY RESTRICTIONS. AMSTERDAM, November 28. Received December 2, 11.30 p.m. Railway passenger traffic is stopped throughout Hungary on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays owing to coal shortage. BELA KUN SUPPORTERS. TRIAL BEGINS AT BUDAPEST. LONDON, November 28. The Daily Express’s Budapest correspondent states that the trial of Bela Kun’s terrorists has commenced. It will last several weeks, as. there are so many charges of murder and torture. Two terrorists turned King’s evidence and detailed how three comrades (Eserny, Schon, and Groo) were sent on special missions of killing and torture. One witness gave evidence that he dug his own grave and was shot by Eserny’s orders, but the firing party did not trouble to throw in earth. Later he recovered consciousness and crawled away. Bela Kun once ordered Eserny to kill Pogany, the Commissary of War. Eserny refused and asked why. Bela Kun replied jarily: “Oh, he is not radical enough!” THE BULGARIAN TREATY. JUGOSLAVS AND RUMANIANS GRANTED DELAY. PARIS, November 27. The Bulgarian Treaty has been signed. The Jugo-Slavs and Rumanians have not dgned. Both have been granted a delay the Peace Conference. AMERICA AND THE TREATY. WASHINGTON, November 28. It is believed that Senator Hitchcock will urge President Wilson to accept Senator Lodge’s reservations in the Treaty with only slight textual changes in order to effect a quick compromise between the Republicans and Democrats. In the Senate Senator McCormick made a statement to the effect that it was astonishing that some public men in England and France said that America was repudiating her agreements because the Treaty was not ratified. They must know that when the American people last year elected a Republican Congress, President Wilson was repudiated, He therefore had no jjower to bind the American people at the Peace Conference. REDEEMING GERMAN NOTES. BELGIUM’S AGREEMENT WITH BERLIN. BRUSSELS, November 29. An agreement has been concluded between the Belgian and German Governments to redeem within 20 years German notes to the value of 6,000,000 marks, issued during the German occupation, which the Belgian Government has withdrawn from circulation.