Page:The Third International to the Workers of all Countries Concerning the Polish Question (1920).pdf/8

 c1e1rs; unpleasant collisions between the Polish and the Allied officers have become a common occurance.

In the Polish Seim the majority belongs to the politically ignorant profiteering peasants. At the head of the Government at first stood a famous musician, his place has now been taken by a provincial druggist. One of the most influential men is the romantic Joseph Pilsudsky,—whose hatred of Tzarism had made him a revolutionary, and whose hatred subsequently of the labour revolution has turned him into a reactionary general. Now, being part of the Government which is shooting workers wholesale he at the same time belongs to the Polish Socialist Party, who has stated in Parliament (Seim) through Dashinsky that the yoke of the Polish reaction drops a heavier burden on the shoulders of the masses than did Tzarist despotism.

Such are the conditions under which the current events are taking place.

The ruling classes of Poland labouring under this mortal fear and egged on by the Allies are likely at any moment to throw themselves desperately into any kind of adventure. We repeat this is t he reason which makes a Polish war against Soviet Russia an absolute possibility.

We are confident that Soviet Russia has little to fear from this war. We are equally confident that the masses of Worker Peasant Russia who have so heroically resisted the attacks of Ko1chak, Udenitch, Denikin and the like will be able to deal accordingly with the Polish landlords and capitalists, and will not allow the Polish adventurers to revive that interregnum when the Polish landed gentry reigned in the Kremlin…

But the Communist International is averse to the Polish and Russian workers paying with their blood for the adventures of the Polish bourgeoisie. Soviet Russia wants peace. Soviet Russia desires to avoid war so as to be able to put an end to the poverty and ruin called out by the war and to begin a constructive, peaceful life. The Communist International is aware that the workers' government in Poland can only be firm, when the Polish workers and pesantspeasants [sic] themselves will achieve their victory, and will overthrow the domination of the Polish landlords and capitalists.

Soviet Russia has upon many ocassions offered to begin peace negotiations with the Polish Republic; Soviet Russia