Iditarod pioneer., 1914-10-17
THE POLAND OF TODAY

The Poland of 17l5 was larger than any other European country, with the exception of Russia Today it has no political entity says the National Geographic Society at Washington, D. C., in q statement recently issued Two centuries ago its domain reached from the Baltic to the Carpathians, and stretched from east to west for dis tance of approximately 600 miles.
 "Ihe first partition of Poland came in 1772, when Prussia and Austria, alarmed by the progress of Russia in Poland, suggested, as means of maintaining the equilibrium of Europe that all three powers readjust their territories at the expense of Poland, reads the socety's bulletin. Poland lay utterly helpless. She lost about one fifth of her population and one-fourth of her ter ritory The second partition, in l793, re- duced Poland to one-third of her original dimensions, with a population of about 3,500,000 A third treaty of partition Was signed in l7Q6, The congress of Vienna, in 1915, divided Poland between Prussia, Austria and Russia, with the exception of Cracow, which was erected into republic embedded in Gacia Posen and Gnesen, with a population of S10,0OO, were left to Prussia Austria remained in possession of Galicia, with its 1,500, 900 inhabitants. Lith- uania and the Ruthenlan Palatnates contin- ued to be incorporated with Russia. The remnant was constituted as the so-called Congress Kingdom, under tf,e emperor oi Russia as the king of PolandA
 "In the same year Czar Alexander l. granted the new kingdom a constitution, which declared it to be united to Russia, in the person of the czar, as a separate political entity. Poland retained it's flag and a national army. In 1850, following the outbreak of the French revolution, a military revolt took place in Warsaw. This war lasted for ten months, and at its con cluson the Congress kingdom was reduced to the position of Russian province. The last remaining remnant of Poland's separate political existence was CracoW, and 1t Was finally occupied by Austria in 1916. The last attempt of the Poles to achieve inde pendence was in 1863. It was marked by no real battle, and the uprising was soon repressed The national history of Poland closes with this attempt at freedom. In 1868, by ukase of the emperor of Russia, the government was absolutely incorpor- pi the Polish language in public places and for public purposes was prohlD tt~..
 Russian Poland contains the first line cf defenses cf the Russian empire on its western frontier. The marshy lowlands, covered with forests on the western bank of the Eistula, offer natural defense against an army advancing from the west, and they are stren. hencd by number of fortresses on that river The center of these latter is Warsaw
 'The Poles are rather of medium stature and well built Those in the south are dark and in the north arc inclined to be fair. While well endowed by nature, they are today net remarkable in that energy which characterizes the northern races ot Europe. and in a sense of unity which has been the strength of their present rulers, and the reason is obvious. For several years raSt the German clement has been annu- ally increasing both in number and in m fuerce. in Russian Poland. From remote antiquity Poland has been celebrated tor the production and export of grain. Since lo'0 there has been q remarkable development of manufacturing enterprise The railroads of Russian Poland have Gn aggregate length cf 1900 miles.
 'The entire administration Cf the rroT ince is under the governor general, residing at Warsaw. After the instruction of 1863 all towns with less than 2,O00 inhabitants were deprived of their municipal rights, The elective municipal councils were prac- ticalIy abolished, and Russian officers noml- mated in their place. The prevalent religion Is Roman Catholic"