South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-27
RULE FOR POLES
HAS BEEN DREAM
FOR l42 YEARS
Action of Russia Means That
All of Country viii Benefit.
Cars Country Has Paid for
Every War.
BY HERBERT TEMPLE.


war, is the promise OF the car of
Russia 20 restore the kingdom OF
Poland under autonomous govern
ment. Should the promise be fulfill
ed, II will afford the realization Of
Polish aims of AZ years.
The resuscitauOn of the ancient
kingdom would set up an effectual
barrier TO Pan-Germanism, and
would certainly win the support for
Russia in the present war Of the
Poles OF Austria-Hungary and Ger
many. The student OF history VIII
recognize the tremendous irony OF
this proclamation by the descendent
OF Catherine the Great, at the cost or
the descendant Of her ally in the dis
memberment OF 1872, Frederick the
Great Of Prussia.
Probably it is as true today as
formerly, that an absolutely indie
pendent Poland could not exist be
tween three empires which have pre-
viOusly amputated it, bat constituted
in the terms Of the imperial prOcla-
nation, under the suzerainty Of Rus
STA, its position and the numbers of
its population will inevitably favor
liberal development. and this will re-
act upon the condition Of the whole
of the Russian lands.
war has always for Russia pre-
scented 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 insti-
tutiOns IL was therefore inevitable
that when Russia began her advance
upon Germany and Austria, that the
Polish population from the Baltic to
the Carpathians should receive some
such dramatic inducement to choose
Ia al of
the car viii not fail to stir the i'm
agination 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 a
srtong force in making the history Of
Europe, now find their lands divided
among three nations, and their very
language threatened with extinction.
In the middle of the / Sth century,
Poland was "A large and powerful
kingdom, 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 an au-
thentic, has been written about PO-
land Under his reign she was
Christianized, an edict being issued in
ESQ that every Pole who had not been
baptized should undergo baptism.
Mieczyslaw was sutton for the
who would not give her hand TO a
pagan, and the fact that the Germans
had previously conquered Poland,
and insisted on Christianity, was an
other condition that advanced the
case OF Christianity among the Poles.
Nlieczyslaw was succeeded by his
son, Boleslaw, surnamed the great,
and after him came a long line of
kings who upheld the fortunes of Po-
land on an equal level with the con
sanity warning peoples OF Europe, as
then constituted. From the very be
ginning, Russia was an enemy. Re-
lations with the GeTmanic nations
were in the main peaceable, although
there were wars with them. Austria's
name does not make its entrance in
10 Polish history until comparatively
late. but then Austria was as an
enemy.
During the reign Of Boleslaw the
king murdered with his own hand St
Stanislaw, who mad inteTdicted all
the Polish churches. Boleslaw went
10 a chapel where the saint was hold
ing mass, and when MS followers
were restrained by G 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
the murder.
In the reign OF Casimir III. called
the great. the material prosperity OF
the kingdom increased notably. The
Principal towns. Dantzic and Cracow.
10 increase their commercial import
anCe, Joined the Hanseatic league,
and the towns ON the Nistula grew in
wealth and number.
After Sigmund IL. there was an in
teTregnum, and the throne was pub
lcly offered for election by the
mobiles. The candidates were the
aTChduke of Austria, a Swedish
prince, Ivan the Terrible of Russia.
Henry Of Valois. French duke.
was elected and signed the pacta
COnventa, which ne had no intention
of carrying out He was one OF the
worst characters his line had pro-
duced, and sharing in the guilt OF the
massacre OF St Bartholomew, came
here unpopular He had little love
for has task, which vas only 10 en-
duFe for five months. When ne had
private advices which told him he
was 10 succeed his brother 10 the
throne of France, he prepared a great
reception, at which ne was more
gracious To his Polish subjects than
he had ever been before.
When ne retired for the night he
left the palace by a remote exit and
rushed for France as fast as horses
would carry him. He was pursued
by Polish officials and after ne had
entered German lands ne parleyed
with them. he said In a vague way
that when ne had restored France 20
tranquility ne would return, prom
iSe he mad no intention of keeping.
After this the lot OF Polish kings
became even more difficult principal
ly owing % the power OF the mobiles.
and the small armies Of retainers.
each OF them maintained. thus pre-
venting national unity
The greatest OF Polish generals.