The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-24

Preseas Mean,ns % the Matte % rsnnea'
bers 90 Gruenwaid.

beP9 90 (3FuenWa aid.
To THE EprroR or TIES SuS-Sir: The
S0oth anniversary % the battle Of Gronwald
fell upon July Is From the blow delivered
upon that day tho Teutonic Order never
recovered. and on April Is. 1925. In the mar
ket place Of craoow. the ancient capatAi on
Poland, its last Grand Master took the oath
Of ndslity on behalf Of East Prussia 70 the
King Of Poland and accepted the title OF
Duke Of Brandenburg
To-day all Poliah hearts pay homage 20
the memoEy Of King Ladislaus JAsisllo. the
victor Of 0rnnwald. and wherever the Polish
language 10 spoken there h heard one hymn.
one prayer, Blessed be thou for 0runwald
For this anniversary Of 0runwald 10 not
merely . memorial Of Polish proves; u v
not merely the outcry for vengeance against
the most hateful Of all the foes OF Poland;
Granwald marks the day that opened Tor
Poland the door to national history and
national culture. indeed. Grunwald sisnines
Poland
Had the Teutonio Order not fallen be-
fore Ladislaus Jagiello, had the hydra head
out OF which was later to sprins the PrusstAn
kingdom not temporarily been crushed De-
meath the hoofs OF Polish stseds, the German
delugs would have snacsd Poland then
a. IL has submerged and oblitsratsd the
western slAvs on the banks OF the Eios. the
Spree and the oder. without oranwaid
there would have been no Poland.
Out OF the victory IT 0ranwald came
the ever memorable union Of Poland and
Lithuania- Had the Teutonio Order been
victorious here t could hardly have been
checked In its invasion OF the whole STA
vonio world. snoh an invasion would have
prevented all national existence In Poland.
for it must be remembered that the Poland
which fought on this neld was barely emery
In ha NJ IA mai 81 q n
For this Poland there had been - yet no
Cracow University. no -Ausustan age Of
literature, no higher state Of culture. Such
. nation. II conquered. would easily have
Loaf all the characteristics OF Independence
Of nationality.
II may indeed DO asserted that the sub
seauent power Of Jagisiionian Poland was
merely the result OF the structure prepared
Of old by the Piast dynasty that the victory
tember ~. 1881 By King Ladislaus the
short and the government Of his successor,
Caslmir the Great. had laid under Poland
indubitable foundAtions. IL must, however.
be recalled that II was Just ct 0ronwald that
all these vital forces ef the old Poland were
to stand the Ore ordeal: that u was just at
0runwald that. having crushed the power
Of the Teutonie Order. those forces attained
their full expression and siren 9Th.
contest the Zcoda Harmony. q Polish
journal Of Chicago. said recently:
~ the present Eensrston MAJ be proud OF the
fruits. the acquirements OF Polish culture: u 70
hVmanity's store We have added our o~n distinet
tone 10 we have enriched that store by what
Miekiew,ex. Chopin. Mste,ko, Modrselewska and
20 many others have given 70 Ne. ~e ows this.
among other things. In . considerable peastrc
70 the victory at Grunwald.
The Grun valid celebration. therefore. II
for the Poles Q thoroughly sslf-contsined
celebration. In the presence Of q great
anniversary they are concentrating their
whole thought upon securing the foUnda-
tions OF their national existence through the
unsslnsh eKertion Of the whole nation
Hence the livins and healthy PofIsh organ
Ism needs TO manifest outwardly. solemnly
and worthily that II understands the conss-
ouences Of the historic event OF 500 years
ago.
Thu sentiment vas expressed by the
venerabls Armenian Archbishop TeodoE-
ovicx Of Leopol In Austrian Poland. who
said
GT1nwah could have been one Of two thlnEs.
either grave OF al later Poland. OF her freedom
and consequently Of her progress. or else the
cradle OF the Polish national and historical culture
Thanks 70 God. q became the cradle. In the
Grunwsh victory. therefore. ve celebrate tire
festival DOT Only Of entire historical seuusst.
but directly OF our existence. rive centuries
after Gvunwsld oppression nnds the Polish ma
uoeAi spirit already fortined that u Gill resist
all blows but nve eeniuries age the soul OF me
tion s,sil beuad up IN swaddiins clothes.
a. u were. and an overro~erns defeat followed
by submission 20 foreign domtnAt ioa would have
sEangied u at It's very birth.
wAcLAw PHrKowskL
Ntw Yoax, July II