The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-09-10
STILL HOPE FOR INDEPENDENCE
Struggles of the Poles Covering Many
Years Are Recounted and Milwaukee
Man Points Out the Necessity of
Union on the Part of the Poles.
BY Casimir eonski.

In July, 1899, the undersigned had
the pleasure to use the columns of The
News for an article regarding the agi-
| tation for the re-establishment of Po-
land as republic That agitation was
partly brought about by memorial
addressed by United States citizens of
! Polish birth or extraction to the peace
conference, then in session, at The
Hague. Of course nothing became of
/ that memorial and it is doubtful
whether the representatives of the
United States, into whose hands it was
entrusted, even presented the same to
the peace conference.
1t is to be presumed that such omis-
/ sion was due to lack of understand
ing of the Importance Of the issues
raised by the memorial, rather than in
difference toward the Polish cause.
But much more attention than the
memorial attracted was the proposition
OF the Russian general, Dragomiroff,
made to the peace conference for the
| establishment of an independent
Poland by the voluntary surrender on
the part Of Russia, Prussia and Austria
/ of the respective territories acquired by
them through force, to the extinguish-
ment of an independent Poland.
Sank into Oblivion.
Gen. Dragomiroff, author Of several
works on the military situation in the
east, was then in command of the Rus
sian forces along the Austrian border
and was the chief of staff of the Rus
sian army. No doubt he was a strate-
| gist of no mean ability and it may be
taken for granted that his proposal for
the re-establishment Of Poland was not
a matter of sentiment or justice, but
purely conclusion to which, his OBJ
servations had led him.
Gen. Dragomiroff, in his address to
the peace conference, advanced the
logical argument that the economic
political and military pressure along
/ the borders of Russia, Prussia and Aus
tria was so great that to maintain the
equilibrium of peaceful conditions and
l NS~-N~
tc prevent the eventual outbreak of an
international conflict, the re-establish-
ment of Poland was an absolute neces-
sity. By such a step the cause of the
proposed disarmament, then discussed
at the Hague, would be greatly adj
vanced. So argued Gen. Dragomiroff.
1t may be remarked in passing that
Drrgomiroff, having made that PROPOSE
ton, sank into oblivion, and we have
not heard from him since. The pow
ers, not being then at war, found such
proposition decidedly distasteful.
A Clear Situation.
The situation was then clearly per-
ceived by strategists and diplomats; it
is susceptible of easy understanding by
all at the present time.
For centuries Poland has been the
battling ground of Europe At the
height of her power her borders ex-
tended from the Baltic to the Black
sea, from the Dnieper to the Oder.
Her mighty armies her matchless cav
airy successfully fought the Turks,
Swedes, Russians, Germans and Prus-
slams. She was the knight of nations,
the tower of strength protecting
western Christendom and civilization
against eastern barbarism and Mongo-
| Ian invasion.
The limits of this article will not adj
NIT of historical review of centuries
of incessant wars but it will be apropos
to remind our German friends of Kara
Mustapha S invasion of the holy Ro-
man empire of German nationality.
when the Mohammedan and Monaghan
hordes swarmed toward Vienna. Not
unlike now was then the cry of the
| German emperor, Leopold: Save west
ern civilization, save the German en-
pire, in which cry Pope Innocent XI.
joined: Save Christianity The am
bassadors of emperor and, pope begged
and implored King John Sobieski to
come with his army to Vienna Is rescue
by forced marches, while Emperor Leo
pold sought safety in fight.
| Saved by King John.
King John saved the empire and
Christianity, but failed to receive even
the thanks of the cowardly emperor.
sobieskis lofty purpose was expressed
in his address to his troops just be-
fore the battle: You are fighting for
the king Of kings, for his, not for
our glory
This high idealism, bound to an in
tense love of their country, has always
characterized the Poles. They have
been ever ready to shed their blood
for others if they considered their
cause worthy or in furtherance of Po-
land s restoration. Thus history rec
ords the valor of Polish arms under
Napoleon l., for whose successes
lagainst Italy,.Austria- and, Germany,