The Bolshevik peace terms, handed to the Polish delegates at
Minsk on Thursday week, included a new demand, of which the British Government had not been plainly informed. The Bolsheviks proposed the formation in Poland of a " civic militia constituted of workers and destined to preserve order and the populations' security." Further, " the conditions and order of organizing this militia will be stipulated during the examination of the Treaty in detail." While professing to " recognize in full the independence and liberty of the Polish Republic," the Bolsheviks sought to force upon Poland a " Red " Army composed of Polish Communists, who are the only " workers " recognized at Moscow. As the Communists are a very small minority of the Polish people, the demand that they alone should be armed, apart from the regular army of only 60,000 men, was tantamount to a denial of the right of " self-determination " to Poland.
