The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-16
polish FIGHT AGAINST
Their Contamination
Question is Acknowledged
to be Far From Set
tied.
POLES REMAIN POLES
Further Trouble Expected in
Frontier Provinces in
Autumn.
POLES REMAIN POLES

Berlin, July 5.-Although excitement
over the question of the Germanlzation
of the Poles, has. for the time being,
diminished, it is far from being settled
and when the problem again comes be-
for the Prussian landtag in the au-
tunln, recurrence OF trouble is expect
ed in the frontier provinces of Posen
and West Prussia, the chief seats of
agitation.
For the moment, without doubt.
the Poles remain Poles and continue to
speak Polish, despite the efforts Of the
government and the fact that the
school strike is practically ended. 1t
is even asserted by their spokesman
that the national sentiment Is stronger
than ever, and they declare that the
recent repressive measures have given
an impetus to the Polish idea which,
viii be felt through several genera
tons.
On the other hand, the authorities
are of the opinion that the solution of
the problem is only matter of time.
They are determined to enforce the law
as to instruction being given in Ger
man in the primary schools, and all
those who refuse to comply are to be
fined heavily, as this has been found
a far more effective means than I'M
prisonment.
An idea of the extent of the recent
agitation may be gathered from the
! list of convictions this year. No fewer
than thirty-five Polish clergymen have
been found guilty by the courts. their
punishments aggregating to twenty
months Imprisonment and $3.50 marks
fine; newspaper men, the worst suffer
ers, incurred total Of forty-f1ve months
1 prison and l6,540 marks fine; parents
we're fined 10000 marks on account Of
their children's non-attendance at
/ school, and other persons, including
! the leaders OF the agitation were SEN
! fenced Iii all to five years and six
| months.
In addition, $50 children of Parish
! councils and education assessors were
deprived Of office; 100 educational COM
mitteemen were dismissed and so high
! school pupils were expelled.
The clergy are for the most part
/ Poles and nearly strive to maintain the
Polish language and national feeling
among their Pensioners. AS they are
/, by the church regulations given the
right to decide In which language they
shall instruct the chiluren in the
church and Sunday schools, -they are
virtually masters Of the situation in
many districts where only church pri-
mary schools exist, large number OF
German children, even against the
wishes Of their parents, are forced to
obtain their instruction in Polish and
are often in this way imbued with Po-
lish ideas. The landtag will In all
probability introduce some changes in
this respect, SO as to provide the chill
dren Of German parents with instruc-
tion In their own language.
In dealing with the economical SIT
uation, which also bristles with diff
culties, the Prussian authorities have
attained somewhat more success than
In their educational campaign, This
side Of the question is being grappled
with In very efficient manner by the
Royal settlement commission for Po-
land. This commission has, during the
past twenty-one' years, performed some
really remarkable work. 1t has had to
fight against much opposition, in many
cases Polish landholders refusing to
sell their land, although unable to
cultivate 1t owing to their lack Of ready
money. Yet the commission has slic-
ceeded In acquiring at a cost of 235, 000,-
900 marks. taken from the $50 900
appropriated for the purpose by the
Langtag, no less than 325, 100000 hec-
tars Gust over 100000 acres) of land Of
which about 100000 German peasant
farmers have been settled in 815 purely
German villages, containing altogether
12,415 farm houses. These settlers have
been provided by the commission with
funds, at low interest to work their
land and are in most cases In an ex-
ceedinsly prosperous condition, 1t is
hoped by the promoters of Germaniza-
ton that the landtag will vote fur
Their appropriation to continue the work
which has shown such good results.
Against the influx of Germans, how
ever. must be calculated the great IN
crease Of the Polish population who far
outnumber the German residents. In
the larger cities the Germans are gen
orally in the majority but in agricul-
tural districts they constitute only one
third Of the inhabitants.
In many instances the PJ es quickly
grappled the fact that the German set
tiers methods were better than their
own and they therefore set 70 work to
learn from the unwelcoms intruders
and soon became equally skilful both In
Industry and agriculture. Then tens of
thousands of Polish harvesters 60 ev-
cry fall to the German provinces to
work and return hume with an esti-
mated total of 100000 900 MARKS, which
they employ in improving their tswn
plots. The Who'll country is On Shis ac-
count rapidly assuming a more pros
porous appearance.
With all this, however, the solution
of the original problem-ths German
ization of the two provinces appears
as far off as ever. The Poles holl
steadfastly both to their land ana their
] H..