Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-25
PLAYS WAITING GAME
A POLISH COMMITTEE AT WORK
IN AMERICA AND EUROPE.

All over the world today. says the New
York Sun. Poles are watching the present
course Of events in Russia and asking one
another. rs there hope?' They do not
say of what. That is not necessary To
Poles the phrase has but one meaning-the
independence of their country But their
leaders. the secret central committee of
the Polish League. are playing waiting
game.
| This secret central committee is really
wonderful organiZaton-a government
within a government. 1t consists of the
ablest men in the national league. vast
society that numbers nearly every adult
male Pole, and many women as WELL The
league has branches in every place where
there are enough Poles to form a club of
some sort or other. No matter whether the
club be social. literary. dramatic political
or athletic. It is first of all patriotic.
There is a secret committee at the head
OF the various organizations in every coun-
try where the Poles have extensive inter-
ests. There is one here In New York, which
governs the 5000 members In America.
There is another in London, and still others
| in Paris. Berlin and even st. Petersburg
and Warsaw.
Committees Word is Law.
From these subcomnittees delegates are
chosen for the highest committee of all
the central committee-whose word Is law.
These delegates are usually men Of consid-
cradle wealth, all of it pledged to the
cause, and without exception. of high per-
sonal integrity. This is vital, because they
have undisputed control of the funds of
the league and are anSwerable to no one
| for their expenditures.
The meeting place and headquarters of
the central committee are both secret. but
the Poles boast that they can notify every
member OF the league in Russian Poland in
less than day of any move that may be
contemplated.
The league has nothing to do with ter
rorfst procamations, street rioting and
bomb throwing. Such demonstrations are
steadily frowned on by the central commit
tee
/ The campaign that is being prosecuted
now is primarily an educa tional one In
stead of spending it's funds for rapid fire
guns and rifles the committee buys text
books and scatters free newspapers.
These papers are printed all over Po-
land. but especially in Warsaw. One of the
best known and widely circulated is called
Power. For years it has made It's appear
ance regularly from a secret press room
and for years the Russian agents have
tried to lay their hands on its editors 1t
is easy enough for them to procure copies
of the sheet. for they are given away on
the streets, but the copies themselves con-
tain no names or addresses.
Where the Press is Free.
Besides the pamphlets published in Rus
sian Poland, there are others issued just
across the border in the Austrian and Ger
man parts of the ancient kingdom. Aus
tria and Germany both allow freedom of
the press, so the printing and publishing
can go on openly. and the only trouble for
the patriots is in getting their pa pers across
the border. Here. again, the secret ma
chinery of the vast society is put into OPP
Grafton. and it is very seldom. indeed, that
the underground mail fails to reach it's des-
| tination. Perhaps the best known of these
| ''outland' Polish journals is the Pole, pub
| lished at Cracow
The central committee does not MAIN
| tain a secret arsenal in readiness for re-
| volt. That would be too risky, but in lieu
| OF such preparation the committee founded,
several years ago, national reserve fund.
Notwithstanding its short life the fund al
ready exceeds 100000 and is growing
steadily. II has proved considerable of a
white elephant to take care of, however,
for several nations hostile to the Polish ma
tional movement discovered its existence
| soon after it was founded, and Germany.
| according to stories the Poles tell, at
| tempted to lay forcible hands on it, The
money is at present divided among several
| banking houses in Paris and London.
Nearly all Poles are firmly determined
! that II they ever become an independent
/ nation they will have a republic on the
i plan of our own and with a constitution
| based on ours. All parties-nationalist,
| agrarian, the three socalistic parties and
couple of others-nake this the chief
plank in their platforms.
The league in this country has 1880
members OF whom 1880 are women At
its last conference, held at Buffalo about
a month ago, some $4,000 was appropri-
ated for different expenses, among them
beig a statue of Kosciusko. to be erected
| in Washington and presented to the Amerl-
can people and the establishment of a
| higher Polish school in Pennsylvania.
| Among the activities of the New York
| branch is a fund for the relief of Polish de-
| serters from the Russian army. who nee
| to this country.