The citizen., 1914-08-07

"A lew years ago tner6 was no COu-
sciousness in Galicia of linguistic dis
tinction between Poles and Ruthe-
mans; Ruthenian peasants were con-
tent to remain serfs of Polish nobility.
There was no Ruthenian literature;
Ruthenian was not polite language.
Today there are distinguished scholars
who seek to found Ruthenian univer-
sity.
Rouses National Spirit.
And this brings US to a strange and
interesting phenomenon that has
swept across Europe, now even around
the world, in the last half century;
the rise of linguistic consciousness,
which in so many instances has sought
expression in statehood.
Primitive man knew his enemy as
one of strange tongue, and language
was the basis of social organization.
That was the condition in Europe
till Greece, and later Rome, began the
game of conquest.
The holy Roman empire gathered
these diverse savage hordes under
single government, but never into a
homogeneous state.
The modern empires of Germany,
Russia, Austria have continued the
old game. And the tendency to central
ize and build up even larger empires
grows apace on the one hand, with
the other tendency equally strong for
the diverse elements of these modern
states to resolve themselves into an
cient tribal elements, based on lin
guistic lines.
Trouble In Barring Language.
And the whole trouble is due to
the fact that European statesmen were
not far-sighted enough to know that
often the easiest way to get some
thing is by pretending you don't want
it.
The Polish tongue was never 30
dear to the Poles of the kingdom as
when Russia forbade its use in pub
lie places and for public purposes.
The sympathies of the Roumanians
of Hungary are not so much with the
flag of their country, or their loyalty
so much for the emperor Of the Dual
Monarchy as for the flag and the king
of Roumania.
The case Of Poland Is probably IA
miliar to all. 1t is enough here to re-
call that by process of dismember-
ment, which took place about 100
years ago, the ancient and honorable
kingdom of Poland which had had a
long and illustrious career, ceased to
exist.
Lions Share to Russia.
The greater part of the kingdom fell
to the lot of Russia, with the an
cient Polish city of Warsaw as its
center.
A smaller portion fell into the hands
of Austria, and today forms the prov
ince of Galicia, with its two important
cities, Lemburg and Cracow.
A still smaller portion, with Posen
as its center, passed into German
hands.
Russian Poland was permitted to
have a constitution of its own from
1915 to 1913, and its own government
till 1864, at which time it quite lost its
administrative independence. Four
years later its government was abso-
lutely incorporated with that of Rus
sia, and the Polish language was de-
MED legal existence.
Coercion Causes Discomfort.
Possibly Russia governs Poland bet
ter than the Poles could have gov
erned it themselves. 1t is conceivable
that in the substitution of the Russian
for the Polish language land the two
are closely allied) the Poles would
have little, if anything to lose.
1t is quite within the bounds Of i'm
agination to believe that Poland as
part of Russia could participate In
a much larger world than could have
been possible to her had she remained
Poland
But it is contrary to human nature
to be coerced; 1t is contrary to hu-
man nature to be compelled to give
ND that to which we have become
habituated.
The Poles of Russia naturally have
been discontented. They have NOT
been satisfied with their representa-
ton in the Russian duma; they are
dissatisfied with Russia's treatment Of
the Jewish question in the kingdom.
Russia's efforts at repression not
only double but redouble Polish ef-
fort to gain recognition, to win free
dom. There are millions of Poles who
dream of and hope for reunited, free.
and independent kingdom of Poland.
mense commerce in South America,