The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1920. THE BOLSHEVIK DANGER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160724, 10 August 1920, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1920. THE BOLSHEVIK DANGER.

“I take this opportunity of putting on record my sincere and profound conviction that the Great Allied Powers will, each of them and all of them, rue the fact that they could not take more decided and united action to crush the Bolshevist policy at its heart and centre before it had grown too strong.” So spoke the Right Hon. Mr Winston Churchill (Minister for War) when addressing his constituents at Dundee six months ago, and who to-day doubts the accuracy of his forecast? Unquestionably the Allies must one and. all deeply regret that they have been unable to crush the Bolsheviks. The rapid march of events in the overrunning of Russia by the Bolshevik forces has been followed by the invasion of Poland; and these developments, inseparably linked with the general European economic and political situation, may open startling new chapters in the history of the whole world. The defeat of the Poles and the overrunning of their country is a matter of international concern, because under the Treaty of Versailles Britain is pledged to defend the integrity of the Poland she assisted to create. It is too late now to reprimand Poland for her gross indiscrimination in attempting to overrun Russia. Poland was threatened with invasion by the Bolsheviks; and, acting contrary to the wishes of the Allies, decided as a necessary measure of self-defence, to herself commence the offensive, believing that a vigorous attack would carry the frontiers of Poland beyond those of 1772. The fact has to be faced that _ she is now threatened with extinction, and with again being oppressed by peoples who are envious of seeing her established once again as a nation with something of the old-time national pride and glory.