Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-11

PetrOgrad, Dec. 11.-Already Rus
sia has lost tens of thousands by the
battles in Poland, but the losses mean
little to her. She is the men-million-
many men she may spend.
The peasants themselves are deeply
calm regarding the spectacle of suf-
fering and death. Death does not
horrify them; on the contrary. the
idea of glorious death is spiritual
They love their brother soldier alive,
but when he is dead he is become
something holy. The technical superb
ty Of the Germans, who were ready for
war at all points. is opposed and held
in check by the mere numbers of the
Russian peasants.
But to turn a moment from the
struggle of Slavs and Teutons, there
is another spectacle that claims at
tention. and that Is the sufferings Of
tho body of Poland over which these
terrible struggles are taking place
The condition of the peoples of Po-
land is almost as bad as that of the
Belgians. There Is only the differ
ence that Belgium WAS Il prosperous
and happy country to start with and
Poland for the most part was misera-
BILE and poverty stricken.
PoycIty-Strickcn Poland.
when the Germans first invaded
Poland they gaspcd at the Nth and
poverty Of the ghettos, at the little
shops where was nothing worth steal
ing. at the wretched houses crammed
and luxury They surveyed the rag
ged. shivering. skin-diseased. eye-dis-
eased Jews with horror, and rather
than loot their houses they set them
afire.
In the first month of the war Po-
, land suffered more from fire and lead
than from robbery. Indeed even the
border trays ceased for while. and
all German attention was given to the
Russian invasion of eastern Prussia.
1t was only after the defeat of the
Russians that Poland began to suffer
seriously. Every one had been Illled
to confidence by the Russian advance
towards Konigsbcrg. and when the
great retreat began no news was given
to Russia, and consequently the pur-
suing Germans came upon many
Polish towns at the most unexpected
moment. The people. wakened up in
the night by the fire and tumult and
thunder Of war, rushed from their
beds into the streets, got into the line
of fire and were killed and injured in
great numbers.
The panic was terrible. Many thou
sands Of people left their homes and
| fed into the wild country. There a,
this moment are starving Poles and
Jews in great numbers wandering
about. lost, shot at. accused of being
spies, arrested, liable to execution.
Some have managed to get into trains
| and have gone to the. cities of the in
| terror. &c.
Warsaw alone has $4,000 homeless
refugees, and probably every city of
Russia has at least Poles il not Jews,
tvN 40 t-,h 10 tap-
rible overflow OF wounded soldiers.
| When the Germans pursued the
Russian army back to the River Me
| men and advanced and occupied
southwest Poland. they were bent OH
revenge. They looked no longer dis
dainf,llly on the nth and poverty of
Poland. Orders had evidently been
given that everything scrviceable was
to be removed from the country-tnat
no rug that might give warmth to the
German soldiers in the winter cam
paign was to be left untaken.
| Following the German army came
an innumerable train Of light wagons
at first almost empty. but at last filled
by the process Of taking stores and
clothing wherever they found them
Germans dead on the battlefield below
| Warsaw were found to be wearing the
clothing of Polish peasants under
their uniforms. Some were found
wearing Russian boots. and many car
ried women's cotton shawls and fan.
mel petticoats.
In many of the villages Of Poland
the people have buried their boots and
spare clothes. with their money. and
you are astonished to see the Polish
peasants going about with bare feet
or in straw slippers. They say that
the German soldiers come and pull the
boots off their feet to put into their
foraging sacks.
At the town of Bzhedin, a sweatcd
labor settlement where man. woman
and child work all day at the sewing
| Of ready-made overcoats, trousers and
SO forth. the Germans took off the
whole stock.
The sagacious Germans disguise il
as purchase, giving in exchange for
the requistioned clothing checks print
ed in the Russian language and pay
able by the Russian government.
A touching story is told of the Jews
| Of Augustof. The Germans came to.
wards Augustof on a Saturday, and
the poor Jews there are Of the most
pious type who do not light their fires
on the Sabbath, do no work and cer-