I have acknowledged receipt of this memorandum to the Polish National
Committee.
The Polish National
Committee to the American Ambassador in France
(
Sharp
)
Memorandum
The Polish National Committee considers it to be its duty to bring
the following facts to the knowledge of the Allied Governments and
the Government of the United States:
Germany and Austria, forced by the Allies to capitulate, and seeing
that the Polish question will not be solved in accordance with their
plan, are endeavoring, with the aid of the Ukrainians, devoted to
their cause since the beginning of the war, to obstruct the
unification of the new-born Poland.
Since Galicia proclaimed its separation from Austria in order to form
a single independent State united to the other Polish territories,
German armed forces, followed by Ukrainian detachments and acting,
it is alleged, in the interests of the Ukrainian cause, occupied,
after a struggle with the Polish Legionnaires, the cities of Lwow
and Przemysl. The fact that the Archduke William, German candidate
for the Ukrainian throne, commanded these troops and that the latter
for the most part were composed of Austro-Germans clearly shows the
object pursued and indicates who was to benefit by the movement.
To render Poland as weak as possible and to create a Ukraine governed
by Germany—such were the aims of German policy in Eastern Europe. To
this end Germany has opposed during the entire war a union of
Galicia and Poland and is even now exerting a supreme effort to
prevent this union. It is for the same reasons that the Germans have
granted the Ukrainians, by the treaty of Brest-Litovsk,3a the
province of Chelm which has always been a part of the kingdom of
Poland and whose Polish character was proven even by the Austrian
census.
The Polish National Committee protests vigorously against these
German attempts which infringe the integrity of Polish territory and
which at the same time are contrary to the interests of the
[Page 412]
Entente in Eastern Europe.
It declares that not only are the principal cities of Eastern
Galicia Polish because 80 percent of their population is Polish, but
also that all of Eastern Galicia, which has been a part of Poland
since the XIV century, is, by its civilization, as well as by its
history, inseparably bound to Poland and could not be detached from
it.
Paris, November 13,
1918.
