GERMANY’S ATTITUDE.

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

GERMANY’S ATTITUDE.

The Allies have great hopes of establishing Poland as a powerful buffer State between Germany and the countries to the east and south that Germany coveted; and if history once more repeats itself in the downfall of Poland, the tragedy will be received with the wildest delight in Germany. Yesterday’s cables stated that the Germans \ are already rejoicing at the collapse of what they term the “miserable artificial Polish State,” and there is unanimous determination to observe strict neutrality in order to prevent the Allies from sending aid through German territory to prevent the downfall of “a jerry-built State.” Consequently the Germans may be expected to make the fullest use of all the bitterness which, justly or not, has accumulated in the hearts of Russian patriots as a result of the hesitant and inconsistent attitude of the Entente toward Russia. They will no doubt utilise to the full the wounds inflicted upon Russian nationalism as a result of the whole brood of proposals for Russian dismemberment, the recognition of independent States out of the domain of the former Russian Empire, sanitary cordons of barrier States erected between Germany and Russia, and suggestions for Entente recognition of the Russian Soviet, through trade dealings or otherwise. Ignoring the record of their imperialistic past, the Germans may j be expected to pose as the only

Government taking 1 an uncompromising attitude against the Red danger, to contrast their own attitude with that of the other Powers, and to try to make it appear that Germany, under the new regime, is the only real supporter of the Russiap nationalists. There can be no certainty respecting the attitude of the German Government towards Bolshevism, even although it is said to be an anti-militarist Government, Although it is almost incredible that bourgeois Germany will play willingly with or into the hands of the Russian Bolsheviks, the fact is worth noting that there has already been a great deal of flirting between the German and Russian Soviet leaders and that Lenin and Trotsky were used to serve imperialistic ends during the World War. German Governments are not to be trusted, and the safe plan is for the Allies to act on the principle that they are not trustworthy,,