Paris Peace Conf. 860c.00/5
As a matter of information I trust I may be permitted to add that this
Parliament, elected by general suffrage, without distinction of sex and
upon the widest democratic basis, can be entirely relied upon as
faithfully reflecting the national opinion of the Poles residing within
the boundaries of the former German Empire.
[Enclosure 2]
Resolutions of the Local Parliament of Posen,
Forwarded December 4, 1918, Through the Channel of the Polish
National Committee to the Government of the United States and to
the Entente Powers
I
The representatives of four million Poles from Posnania, Silesia,
Western Prussia, Pomerania, Ermonia, Prussian Mazovia and of the
Polish emigrants settled in Germany, elected by general suffrage
without distinction of sex, held a meeting at Posen as Local
Parliament on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of December in order to express
in the name of the Poles from Germany, the will of the Nation
tending towards the reconstruction of a free, independent and united
Poland.
The Allied Powers have not only shown their friendship for Poland
during the present war, but have placed the reconstitution of a free
and united Poland among their war aims, seeing in this program one
of the essential guarantees of victory over Prussian militarism and
for the establishment of just and lasting peace.
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At the present moment, when the settling of this terrible war is
drawing near and the Allied Powers have reached their aims, we ask
that the crimes by which Poland was torn to pieces more than a
century ago, be made good through the return to her of the
territories which were hers before the division, including the
Polish sea coast. We likewise wish, in accordance with the ideas
expressed by President Wilson, and the decisions reached at
Versailles, that the provinces of the former kingdom of Prussia,
inhabited for centuries by a Polish population, may become part of
the Polish State.
The Polish nation, during its long slavery, made several efforts to
free itself by force from the foreign yoke. Rising against its
oppressors it had to yield to their number but never ceased through
its representatives to protest against the wrong inflicted upon
Poland.
The Prussian Government, taking unfair advantage of its strength and
mighty resources, tried by all means to destroy the Polish
population. It germanised it through its schools and flooded our
provinces with exclusively German officials. It expropriated the
Polish landowners and put German emigrants in their place. It
prevented the Poles from building houses on their own land, trying
in this way to give the Polish provinces a German appearance in
order to acquire a right of property over them.
If, under these circumstances, Poland’s right to claim all regions
inhabited for many centuries by a Polish population should not be
recognized, it would not only mean sanctioning the deed done by the
divisions of Poland, but would at the same time ratify the policy of
violence and injustice of which the Polish population was a victim
and which was aimed at its complete destruction.
As long as injustice and violence are not made good the Poles will
not be able to forget the crimes committed against them.
II
The German nation, long ago persuaded by its government as to its
superiority over other nations, does not even to-day see the
necessity for atoning for this secular injustice and endeavours by
all means to check the efforts of the Polish nation towards
reconquering its rights.
In order to set the public opinion of the world, until now favourable
to the Poles, against them, the Germans started a violent
anti-Polish campaign in their own and in the foreign press, claiming
that the Poles are anticipating upon the decisions of the Peace
Congress by forcibly occupying towns and territories and
incorporating them into the new Polish State.
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Although the German authorities have ascertained the emptiness of
these claims, they no less send troops to our provinces under the
pretence of guarding the frontier and thus produce an exceptional
state of war meant to hinder the organization of the Polish
population.
We protest against these interferences with the free evolution of our
national movement. Unable and unwilling to answer violence by
violence we beg the Allied Powers to afford us prompt help by
sending their representatives on the spot. They will ascertain the
state of things.
III
The Polish nation, as has been proved by History, has distinguished
itself by its spirit of toleration and fairness towards other
nationalities and creeds. It will avail itself of the same
principles of toleration in the Polish State now coming to life and
will allow minorities the benefit of equal rights.
For this reason we most energetically protest against the anti-Polish
campaign in the German press which spreads false reports about an
anti-Jewish movement in Poland. This press, hostile to Poland,
denies her rights over the Polish provinces under German yoke and
endeavours to throw discredit upon the Poles before the world’s
opinion, thus weakening the sympathies which the cause of Poland
enjoys among the Allies and hindering our efforts towards the
unification of the Polish territories.
If Poland, having to proceed to her organisation under the hardest
circumstances and while invaded by numerous deserters and Russian
prisoners of war, has unfortunately been unable to prevent disorders
breaking out in some localities, these were by no means directed
exclusively against the Jews and it is only through an entire lack
of good faith that these doubtlessly painful incidents could be made
out as resulting from a regime of terror practised by the Polish
nation against the Jews.
We raise an earnest call for a delegation to be sent which might
impartially ascertain the real state of things as well as for the
removal to Poland of the Polish army now in France. This army would
help the country to maintain order during the period of
organization.
IV
During the period of transition and as long as the Polish Government,
regularly constituted and representing the entire Nation, has not
appointed its representatives to the Allied Powers and to the Peace
Congress, we entrust the Polish National Committee in Paris with the
defense of our cause.
