El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-24

ONDON, Eng, Aug 24-One of The
most sensational and farreachfng
Incidents of the great war, is
the promise of the car of Russia TO
restore the kingdom OF Poland under
autonomous government Should the
promise be fulfilled, II will afford the
realization Of Polish aims Of 142 years.
The resuscitatiOn Of the ancient king
dom would set UP an effectual barrier
70 pan-Germanism, and would certainly
win the support for Russia in the pres
ent war of the Poles of Austria-Hun-
gary and Germany The student Of his
tory will recognize the tremendous
irony OF this proclamation by the de-
scendant of Catherine the Great, at the
cost OF the descendant Of her ally in the
announcement Of 1772, Frederick the
Great Of Prussia
Probably II is as true today as for
merry, that an absolutely independent
Poland could not exist between three
empires which have previously ampu-
tated Ii, but constituted in the terms Of
the imperial proclamation, under the
suZeralnty Of Russia, its position and
the numbers of its population will in
eVltably favor liberal development, and
this will react upon the condition OF
the whole Of the Russian lands.
Poles Once Leading Race.
War has always for Russia presented
such dramatic necessities as this. The
Crimean war led to the emancipation
Of the Serfs, and the Japanese war to
the beginning Of the establishment Of
parliamentary Institutions. II was
therefore. inevitable that wnen Russia
began her advance upon Germany and
Austria that the Polish population
from the Baltic TO the Carpathians
should receive some such dramatic in
ducemenC 10 choose their destiny. This
proclamation Of the car will not fail
TO stir the Imagination Of that part Of
the world which knows how fiercely the
spirit Of natiOnalism burns TO this very
day in the Polish people, who, once
strong force in making the history Of
Europe now lind their lands divided
among three nations, and their very
language threatened with extinction.
Once Powerful Kingdom.
In the middle Of the 18th century,
Poland was large and powerful king
dom, while its beginnings go back to
almost legendary ages From the time
Of the reign Of MieCZyslaW, between
$50 and 992, history that is accepted by
modern historians as authentic, has
been written about Poland Under his
reign she was Christianized. an edict
being issued in $50 that every Pole who
had not been baptized should undergo
Baptism MlecZyslaW was a sutton for
The daughter OF the king Of Bohemia,
who would not give her hand to q
pagan, and the fact that the Germans
had previously conquered Poland
and insisted on Christianity. was
another condition that advanced the
cause Of Christianity among the Poles
MieCzslaw was succeeded by his son
BoleSlaWs Surnamed the Great and
after him came a long line Of kings who
upheld the fortunes OF Poland on an
equal level with the constantly warning
peoples Of Europe, as then constituted
From the very beginning, Russia was
an enemy Relations with the Ger
manic nations were in the main peace
able, although there were wars with
them Austria's name does not make
its entrance into Polish history until
comparatively late, but then Austria
was as an enemy.
King Murdered Saint.
During the reign OF BOleslaw, the
king murdered with his own hand St
Stanislaw, who had interdicted all the
Polish churches. Boleslaw went to a
chapel where the saint was holding
mass. and when his followers were re-
strained by a miracle from the murder,
BoleslaW himself put him to death with
his sword He was forced to flee into
Hungary. and for 200 years the popes
refused the title OF kingdom for Poland,
as a result Of the murder.
In the reign of Casimir, Ill, called