The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-09-03
POLAND WAS A
LARGE COUNTRY
zoo YEARS AGO.
Being Larger Than Any Other
European Nation with the
Exception of Russia.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. a.
The Poland of 1715 was larger than
any other European country, with the
exception of Russia. Today it has no
political entity, says the National Geo
graphic Society. at Washington. d. c.,
! in statement issued today. Two cen~
turtles ago its domain reached from
the Baltic to the Carpathians, and
stretched from east to west for dis
lance of approximately 600 miles.
Poland Helpless.
The first partition Of Poland came
in 1872, when Prussia and Austria,
alarmed by the progress of Russia in
Poland. suggested, as means of main
tanning the equilibrium of Europe, that
all three powers readjust their terri
tories at the expense of Poland, READS
/ the -society's bulletin. POLAND lay
utterly helpless. She lost about one
fifth of her population and one-fourth
of her territory. The second parri-
ton, in 1893, reduced Poland to one
third of her original dimensions, with
a population of about $500, 600. A third
| treaty of partition was signed in 1895.
The Congress of Vienna, in 1915, di-
vided Poland between Prussia, Aus
tria and Russia, with the exception of
| Cracow, which was erected into re-
public embedded in Galicia. Posen and
were left to Prussia. Austria remained
| in possession of Galicia, with its >
| SOC, 900 Inhabitants. Lithuania and the
Ruthenian Palatinates continued to be
incorporated with Russia. The rem
nant was constituted as the so-called
Congress Kingdom, under the Emper-
or of Russia as the king Of Poland.
I'm the same year. Tsar Alexander 1.
| granted the new kingdom constitu-
| ton which RI ho I1nifod
i Russia, in the person Of the tsar, as a
separate political entity. Poland re-
| tanned its flag and national army.
In 1880, following the outbreak of the
French revolution, military revolt
took place in Warsaw. This war last
| ed for ten months, and at it's con-
clusion the Congress Kingdom was re-
duced to the position of Russian
| province. The last remaining remnant
! of Poland's separate political existence
was Cracow, and it was finally occu.
| pied by Austria in 1876. The last at
| tempt of the Poles to achieve inde-
| pendence was in 1868. 1t was marked
| by no real battle and the uprising
| was soon repressed. The national his
| tory of Poland closes with this attempt
at freedom. In 1868, by ukase of the
4 emperor of Russia, the government
: was absolutely incorporated with tina
4
. language in public places and for pub
lie purposes was prohibited.
Natural Defense.
Russian Poland contains the frs
4 line of defense of the Russian empire
7 on its western frontier. The marsh.
lowlands, covered with forests on the
western bank of the Vistula, offer {
natural defense against an army ad
! vancing from the west, and they arr
1 Ir,%v 1rkI14 ,, 81 1v.t
resses on that river. The center O
these latter is Warsaw.
The Poles are rather of medium
stature and we'll built Those in the
south are dark and in the north arr
inclined to be fair. While well en-
j dowed by nature they are today no
remarkable in that energy which char
acterizes the northern races OF Eu
rope, and in sense of unity which
4 has been the strength of their pres
ent rulers, and the reason Is obvious.
For several years past the German ele
ment has been annually increasing
both in number and in influence IL
Russian Poland. From remote antiq
uity Poland has been celebrated 70,
/ the production and export of grain
Since 1875 there has been remark
able development of manufacture:
enterprise. The railroads OF Russian
Poland have an aggregate length o
300 miles.
THE entire administration of thu
province is under the governor-genera
residing at Warsaw. After the insur
rection of 1863 all towns with les'
than 1000 inhabitants were deprived
of their municipal rights The elective
municipal councils were practically
abolished, and Russian officers nomi
mated in their place. The preyafen
l religion is Roman Catholic"
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