At the last annual meeting of the Polish Press club in Chicago, the illegal inclusion of the Chelm territory and the Galician border country within the boundaries of the Ukraine by Austria and Germany at the recent peace conference was discussed after Club matters had been disposed of.

Nicodemus Piotrowski, president of the Polish Roman Catholic Union and treasurer of the [Polish Press] Club, called attention to the fact that during the time that the German government was declaring that it was desirous of having Polish representation at the conference in Brzesc Litewski while only the Bolshevist government was opposed to it, the German government was at the same time treacherously disposing of Polish territory without consulting or even informing the Polish Regency in the Kingdom [Duchy of Warsaw]; this proves that the German government regards the Regency as its puppet, existing solely to act in accordance with instructions from Berlin.

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John Wedda, editor of Nowy Swiat [New World], pointed out that according to the last statistics gathered for the Russian Duma, which, in its time, was considering the exclusion of Chelm from the Kingdom, this territory was populated by Poles to the extent of seventy to eighty per cent.

Dr. F. Front-Dobija, vice-president of the Club, reminded the gathering that Chelm is a country well saturated with the blood of innumerable heroes who fought for faith and freedom.

Reverend Strutynski, a Greek Catholic pastor, denied that the statistical data in reference to the Poles and Ukrainians showed the true state of affairs. In his opinion, Chelm has a considerable Ruthenian population and cannot be considered as unconditionally Polish. He agreed, however, that this territory had never been a cause for argument between the Ukraine and Germany, and that for this reason the matter should have been settled between Poland and Ukrainia.

F. Piasecki, secretary of the Club, declared that the Germans were concerned 3only with creating differences between the Poles and Ukrainians, and if only for this reason the treaty in question is a crime against the Ukrainians as well as the Poles.

After this discussion, the Polish Press Club unanimously voted the following resolution:

"With the present terrific struggle of autocracy and militarism against the democratic trend in the interior organization of nations, and with the tendency of all nations to strive for independence, the Polish nation has accepted in full the principles of the distinguished chief executive of the Unites States, Woodrow Wilson, the principles defended by the incomparable heroism of the French, Italians, and English, at whose side the capable army of this country is now ranged and our own Polish army is in process of formation.

"In accordance with these principles and with the age-old feeling of brotherhood and inseparable spiritual union, the Polish nation wholeheartedly desires the 4complete independence of the Ukrainian republic now coming to life, never doubting that after general peace has been declared the relations between Poland and Ukrainia will be of the friendliest nature.

"Already this disposition of the Polish nation toward the Ukrainians and the Ruthenians is such that any territorial disagreements, in as much as they should really exist, can be settled by conference between Poland and Ukrainia. The arbitrary inclusion of Chelm within the boundaries of Ukrainia, then, could not have had as its aim the good of the Ukrainian people; rather did it have as its aim that which is equally harmful to the Poles, Ruthenians, and Ukrainians, namely, the creation of differences between kindred peoples, giving cause for distrust and quarrels at the very outset of their independent existence.

"The Polish nation can never agree to allow the Czarist and Prussian governments to continue taking away from the Poles their heritage, and carving and partitioning Polish territory at will, thereby making Poland politically and economically a pawn for the convenience of the conquerors and an aid in establishing 5their reign.

"Having all this in mind, the Polish Press Club of Chicago hereby raises its voice in solemn protest against the new partition, which it refused to recognize and rejects as an outrage. With the most faithful memory to the heroic sons of Chelm, who by their martyrs' blood affirmed their union and brotherhood with Poland, it joins wholeheartedly with them in this painful hour as an integral part of the same body, fired with the same faith--as the source and substance of the same life.

"John J. Chrzanowski, president

"Dr. F. Front-Dobija, vice president

"N. L. Piotrowski, treasurer

"F. Piasecki, secretary

"Stanislaus Orpiszewski

"N. Zlotnicki

"S. Lewental

"Iza Pobog."