The Saint Paul globe., 1902-01-14
POSEN CHURCH WAR
FORCES Won BUELOW TO A sPE-
CIFTC DECLARATION OF FU-
TURE POLICY
NO MORE WHIPPING IN SCHOOL
German Government Intends to In
sist That the RebeIIious Prov
fnce Must Submit to He
ing AssimfIated.

BERLIN, Jan. 13.-Count Won Buelow
is regarded as having handled the vexefi
Pollsh question, complicated as it is with
bitter DELICIOUS controversies, with much
skill
Ills announcement that the government
VIII desist from the corporal punishment
OF Polish children during religious in
struction is accepted as eliminating the
principal weapon with which the agi-
tators lncite the passions of the Poles
The imperial chancellor startled the Ger
man section of the diet by Offering docu-
mentary proofs collected by the govern
ment that while the Polish population of
the province of Posen was increasing at
the rate of l0% per cent, the German
population of this province increased
only at the rate Of 31b per cent. But.
tabstracting from the German increase
these persons who had immigrated to the
province, the German population of Posen
mad only increased 1% per cent during a
period of five years
1t is absolutely necessary to protect
and promote German civilization in
Posen,' declared Count Won BueIow."
and to this end the priests must keep
their hands off" This declaration is in
terpreted to mean that the representa-
tions at the vatican have not been wholy
successful and that the Prussian admin
local Catholic authorities
Chancellor Talked CIeyerIy.
Although the house and the galleries
were crowded, the proceedings were very
calm. Count Won Buelow Grew the adj
mira ton of his hearers by his smooth
and adroitly worded periods. his speech
today was about three times the ordinary
length of the chancellor's deIiverances.
The National Liberals desired to know
how GermaniSm was to be upheld. while
the Polish members bitterly criticised the
recent events at Wreschen, Heclaring that
the sentences of the courts must have
caused justice to veil her face in shame. "
Won Buelow preraced mis- remarks by
saying that the incidents at Wreschen
had been greatly exaggerated and had
been utilized to plunge Germany into in
ternecine difficulties. What had occurred
was the fault of the Polish agitation and
not of the Prussian school system. which
was the same as had been enforced in
the bilngual districts for the past thirty
years and which was as little addicted to
cruelty as was the Prussian administra-
ton of justice.
Corporal Punishment Abolished.
Corporal punishment, the speaker said,
would hereafter be omitted during re-
ligious Instruction. No one prevented the
Poles from speaking Polish, but they
must also learn to speak German and
participate in the German work of CivilI-
zation.
Now that these national conflicts are
forced on US, only two possible courses are
open either to allcw ourselves to evan
Quished without struggle or to protect
our skins. We cannot allow the roots of
PrusSian strength to rot The Polish
question is the most important before the
nation, and on its settlement depends the
development of the immediate future of
our fatherland. Our policy is unchange-
able. If need be, we shall provide further
means to improve the condition of the
German peasants, promote industry and
establish garrisons. We entertain no
doubt of the loyalty of the members Of
this house, but 1 beg the house to have
no doubt about the d'sloyalty of the
Polish agitation"
The chancellor concluded by assuring
the Germans of Fast Prussia that the
government would not deviate in the
slightest from the lines laid out by Chat
greatest German. the late Prince Bis
marck.'