The Sentinel=record., 1915-02-21
PITY POOR POLAND.

American sympathy can be given without reserve to "partitioned Pc land" the magnificent, much promis- ing empire of yesterday. the keen su- fering battlefield of today. whose farms and industry, villages and cities are being made war-orferngs and whose people are fighting one an- other under different flags, for Po- land is the least concerned sacrifice in the European struggle Polish lands comprise almost the entire east ern war theater. This people, their chequered, turbulent history, their proud boasts and dearest hopes and their peculiar characteristics are care fully explained to Americans in a historic geographical study made for the National Geographic Society by William Joseph Showalter
 Mr, Showalter says of the brilliant middle European Kingdom of yester. day: Tn size she outranked every nation of the continent. Even now Russia alone of the European nations is larger than Poland was at her greatest In population she stood at the forefront of Europe; only Russia and Germany today have greater pop ulations than are to be found in the lands that once were Poland for un- partitioned Poland had an area off 2S2000 square miles, and the lands that once lay within her boundaries now support a population of 50000,- 001. In area she was as large as the German empire, Switzerland. Belgium, Holland and Denmark together: and within what were her borders there dwelis present population larger than those of France, Belgium and Holland combined
 Though IF years have gone by since the final partition of Po'and among Russia Austria and Germany, and though the conquerors have made l the most vigorous efforts to assimi- late the Polish people the Pole today, | if any way changed, is more intensely | national Mir Showalter points out. | more passionately devoted an an ideal of re-established Poland than ever before. The Pole has a fervent love for all things Polish, this writer con tinues:
 ''Fie will tell you that their cooking is better than that of Paris, that their scenery is more beautiful than that of any other country; that their language is the most meodious that falls from human lips that there is no dance in the world to he compared i with the mazurka that the most | beautiful women on the face of the | earth and the brayest men who ever lived are to be found among them; that the Poles are a cheerful hospita- ble. easily pleased, and an imagina tive race; and that yet. in spite of and notwithstanding all this, they are the most unhappy people and theirs the nost hap ess nation in his. tory"
 Poland was three times parttioned. l The final apportionmeut was made at the Congress Of Vienna in 1915, which left to Russia 22050o, Prussia 26o0OI and Austria S5000 square miles. After this distribution the conquer ors sought to blot out all memories Of the kingdom. Poland and Mir sho- walter enumerates among the re- pressive measures employed to this end those forbidding the use Of the national dress-even at carniVais- the singing or natlOnal songs ana tEe displaying of national coats-of-arms.
 The Poles lost their pace among the family of nations because they were the victims of an unrestrained individuallsm Yet, where the Poles are willing to surrender some of their individualism in the service of an idea-as in the ease in the United States-they make the best of citi- zens. America is a decided gainer by the host Of Poles who have sought her shores, is the conclusion of the writer