Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24
BY A DIP 0 M A 7
Danger to Russia of an Up
rising in Poland.
MAY BECOME FACT
MUCH ACTIVITY WHEREVER
POLES ARE TO BE FOUND.
Stirring Manifestoes Being Circulated
Anxiety in Prussia and Austria
ea Menace is Real.
MAY BECOME FACT

>
The terrible disasters that are overtak-
ing Russia in her war against Japan are
causing dangerous reflex action in her
Vistula provinces, as was to be expected.
News is fltering through the censored
press and anxiety prevails not only
in Russia, but also in the cointerested
neighboring empires of Austria and Ger
many, especially the latter. which has a
full measure OF wrong and injustice to-
ward the Poles on her conscience. Glowing
manifestoes are being spread throughout
Poland, penetrating even to the Russian
barracks where Polish soldiers are quar-
tered. 1t is naively asserted that Japanese
agents and spies agitate and arouse the
people as though every inch of Polish SOIL
had not its memory of old glory. as though
every tomb in the churches and numberless
battlefields every banner that moldered on
their sacred walls, did not teach some pas
sage of their history. Beside. sum total
of hatred has been accumulated from the
mothers milk among the oppressed nation
by the suppression Of their language ana
literature and their native schools the dis
elimination against their religion, draconic
exceptional laws, police surveillance, con-
slant administrative" exile without due
process of law, transportation of Polish |
soldiers as far as possible from home. pre-
ferably to Siberian and Caucasian garri-
In the United States 5000 600 of Poles are
living, united by their church and political
as well social organizations, ever mind
full of their fatherland, the hope of whose
future greatness and Independence among
the family of nations they have never given
up. Rich and splendidly organized they
actually constitute a tremendous moral
power and a great political force. Their
treasures for the cause are growing safely
in the United States and Switzerland. the
poorest laborer and miner contributing his
mite toward the sacred cause. A very ex-
tensive national press keeps the agitation
and the consciousness of their wrongs alive.
There Is not one Polish family anywhere at
home abroad the blood of whose ances-
tors did not drench the soil the battle
field or under the ak of the executioner.
Hour Of Revenge.
Now the hour Of revenge seems to have
struck If Manchuria becomes the grave
of the Russian army, the Chinese sea has
become the grave of the eastern Russian
fleet, a Polish revolutionary movement is by
no means impossibility. 1t is true that
the Russian government is well aware of
what is going on at home and abroad for
no government has such a perfect system
of espionage, not only within the vast en-
pire, where every janttor Of every house is
official informer, but also everywhere
else where there are Polish colonies. Yet
Russia was just as well informed before
the former great outbreaks. In 1880 bills
were repeatedly posted on the imperial PAL
ace wall of Grand Duke Constantine broth
e1 of Gear Nicholas /, at Warsaw: ITO let
after New Year." Nevertheless the revolu-
ton took the grand duke-governor of Po-
land-and his powerful army almost a
war footing, by surprise. Constantine es-
capped with. his life by mere accident, and
the whole country was ablaze all at the
same time. 1t required immense efforts on
the part of Russia to put down the revolu-
ton. and even then, only Prussias active
assistance along the entire frontier from
the Baltic down to Austrian silesia insured
the Russian upper hand.
If Polish revolution broke out at this
time, would Prussia act as Bismarck did in
1858? This revolution also had to be sup
pressed with ruthless energy. The country
was drowned in blood, and Prussia was
forced into an odious cooperation with
Russia. But the cutlery of the western ma
tons and the wave Of hate against Bis
marck in Prussia herself nearly forced the
Iron Chancellor" from his office at an
early stage of his grand career es the uni
fer of Germany.
Germany's Position.
There is no doubt that the German gov
ernment would today assist in stamping
out Polish movement in Russia even with
a greater will than forty years ago, for the
artagonisms Of the two irreconcilable races,
enemies by inheritance, have become at
present more accentuated than before. A
silent war is raging in all the eastern
provinces of Prussia between German ma
tionalities and a logged passive resistance
and active propaganda of the Poles. "A
strange letter Of BiSmarck-lying before the
writer-of the early date of 1S4S. written
by that great journalist to the Magdeburg
Gazette. reads: German dreamers may
wish to restore Poland within her original
frontiers, then the best sinews of Prussia
would be cut and millions of Germans be
turned over to Polish arbitrariness, in order
to win an unsafe ally who would greedily
nhary M
to win eastern Prussia. Polish Silesia and
the Polish districts of Pomerania. How
can a German, from sheer sentimentality,
ever think of creating In closest proximity
to the fatherland a restless enemy who will
always strive to divert by wars the FEVER
ish unrest in its interior and fall upon our
rear in every western compncatloh an enc
my who will be more greedy Tor conquest
al our expense than the Car OF Russia,
who is glad when he can hold together his
present colossus?" Here the lion is already
Young country squire thirty-three years
old! But these lines throw perfect fash
light upon his future policy.
The Polish press In Prussia peins unoer
a harsh and watchful supervision, wnlch
is considered quite legitimate and neces-
sary for the safety of the state, u.s., or
course. able to agitate but covertiy. but
the Austrian press thron ,e .ne d Ki nnf-
spoken regarding the Polish aspirations;
The Cracow and Lemberg Journals ana
magazines vindieate the sacred rlgnt OF
an oppressed nation to rise against the
tyrant for their independence and against
Standardization. They maintain that
'.the Poles have even more cause to re-
venge the wrongs of centuries In the Rus
sian slaughter house than the Firms,
whose wrongs are new and tempered,
after all. by the exigeneies of the pres
ent more enlightened era.
The Prussian and Austrian Poles are
naturally sufficiently wise to do nothing
that would make their own rulers sus-
picious. They see clearly the folly Of
provoking war measures on the part OF
the two other great powers. In 1881 they
even mooted the question of calling
Prussian prince or an Austrian archduke
to the throne of resuscitated Poland to
conciliate those powers. But at least r.
600 German Poles crossed the Russian
frontier and fought the bloody battles of
Ostrolenka and Praga fortress of War
saw. Even the Prussian Gen. Uminski
and hosts of officers. non-commissioned
officers and soldiers deserted their Prus-
sian regiments to fight against Russia
But Prussia. fearful of the spread of rev.
olution, modified four army corps Cat
that time one-haIf of her entire army
under Gneisenau. her greatest field mar