Poland's National Problems The National Unity movement in Poland, founded
by Marshal Smigly-Rydz two years ago, has up to the present singularly failed to achieve its object. After taking a turn towards the Right under Colonel Roc, it is now accused of deviating to the Left under his successor, General Skwarczynski, and has been weakened by the expulsion of the element constituted by the anti-Semitic and nationalist Young Poland Union. This week, however, public opinion has responded with some enthusiasm to a speech by M. Kwiatkowski, the Minister of Finance ; anti-Semitic in the sense that it favours mass emigration of the Jews, the speech demanded a policy of increased urbanisation to relieve the over-population of the countryside. It is not difficult to under- stand why M. Kwiatkowski's words have been received with appreciation, for his proposals at least attempt to solve Poland's fundamental problem, the overwhelming misery and poverty of a peasantry permanently on the verge of revolt which may take either an anti-Semitic or a revolutionary form. Talk of national unity, democracy, constitutionalism, has little reality under such conditions. The real task of the Government is to win the support of the peasants, who form two-thirds of the population, by raising their standard of life ; but it is difficult to achieve when the money necessary for agricultural reform is poured out on the armaments made necessary by Poland's geographical position.
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