The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-27
GRACOW TO OBSERVE CENTENARY OF REPUB-
 LIC ONE YEAR HENCE

In the news from what is now call ed the eastern theatre of war; the name of Cracow has lately been prom 1nent. It stands for an ancient and beautiful city. once a proud capital of free and powerful Poland and a center of learning, later free and independent republic, standing as a memorial of vanished grandeur; then a vassaI of Austria, ruthlessly robbed of it's liberties despite the protests of the civilized world; now the center of~a whirltng vortex of terrible con. flict
 One year from today cracow will observe the centenary of the forrna- ton of the brief republic of Cracow. For a short period-fron November 27, 1915, until 1846, Cracow and the surrounding territory enjoyed inde- pendence, and shone forth as an isI- and of liberty in a sea of despotism. When the representatives of the great powers met in congress at Vienna in 1e14 10 make new map of Europe the previous partition of Poland be- tween Russia, Austria and Prussia was confirmed, except that Cracow was declared to be "a free and inde pendent city, forever.''- Prussia, Aus tria and Russia agreed to this -decla- ration, and on the twenty-seventh of November, 1915, the republic was for mally inaugurated. In the Polish rev, elution of 1881 the city was occupied by Russian army. but at the concIu- sion of peace the force was with drawn and Craeow was again free
 But this little stretch of free coun- try in Gahcia was a thorn in the flesh of Austria. The Emperor coveted the ancient capital on the left bank of the Vistula, and only awaited the proper moment to make it his own. That time arrived in November. 1846 " he oif Cafz %I tr1an Kaiser and incorporated in his empire, and it's freedom, which Aus tria had solemnly guaranteed by treaty forever" was extinguished
 Like the recent annexation of Bos- mia and Herzegovina by Austria, the seizure of the republic of Cracow brought protests from all the other powers, but, as in the later instance the protests were unsupported by armed force. Great Britain, Sweden. France, even Turkey, Joined in the clamor against the spoliation of Cra- COW, denouncing it as a gross viola ton of g, solemn treaty which Austria had promised to respect The denun- citation gradually died down, however, and the Austrian hold has never re- faxed.
 The old city of Cracow is one of the most picturesque communities to be found in Europe. The cathedral a fine old example of Gothic archi- lecture, contains monuments of many of the Polish monarchs, saints and martyrs. It was in this sacred edi- flee that all the kings of Poland were crowned, including the last, Stanislas IT, who received the crown in 1764 and resigned it at the final dismen- berment of Poland in 1795.
 Cracow's history Is written in blood and tears, for no other city in the world has suffered so much. It was founded about the close of the sew enth century, and was named after Cracus, who had been chosen by the Poles as their duke. It was the capi- tai of Poland from 1926 to 1909. It has been taken and retaken dozens Of times by the. armies of warning powers, and in 1850 the greater part of the city was laid waste by a con- i f1agration. Now Cracow hopes that the treaty of century ago may be revived as result of the war, and that it will again become a free city, and, possibly, the capital of a resur- rected Poland.