New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-15
POLAND STARVING
SAYS SIENKIEWICZ
Himself a Refugee, Author
Tells of Devastation
of His Country.
fBy Cable 10 The Tribune J

Berns. Feb. a. Henryk Gienkiewicz,
author Of "Quo Nadis?' like tens of
thousands of his compatriots, is
refugee. driven from home by the war.
The great Polish writer is al :he irand
Hotel. Nevcy. where he is staying with
members Of the Committee FOR Rehet
cf Victims of War in Poland. of which
he is president. No more appalling
picture OF death. destruction and de-
vastation was ever drawn than that
outlined by Zienkiewicz.
1.-TWO countries" the writer SAID,
"have especially suffered in this fright
ful war, in which the demons OF death
and destruction are struggling for the
empire of the world. These countries
arc Belgium and Poland. The splendid
help many people have given to Bel
gium honors humanity. We are not
jealous of the sympathy shown to thae
little nation. We know We should nave
similar sympathy if the world only
knew the miseries our unhappy people
have undergone and are undergoing.
What is the position of Poland!
She had nothing to- do with the war,
Tut is conquered and partitioned. She
is not one OF the belligercnt nations,
yet a million and half of her sons
arc fighting fratricidal battles in
armies of three different warning
the states. Our country has been
made the cockpit of the battles OF
Europe and devastated from end TO
end. Thrce-quarters Of a million OF
our children are fighting in the Russian
army and another three-quarters OF
million are bearing the arms of Aus
tria.
"Thc misery is really very great. In
the kingdom of Poland alone 10000
villages have been burned or damaged.
A thousand churches ard chapels have
been destroyed. Nine out OF ten
provinces have been occupied by the
Germans, who have seized everything,
even TO the peasants chickens.
"The homeless villagers have sought
shelter in the forests, where it is no ex-
apgeration to say women and children
are diving from cold and hunger by the
thousands daily. Children raise flesh
less arms and cry to mothers for bread,
but the Polish mother has nothing TO
give them but tears.
"Poland comprises 127, 900 square
kilometres. One hundred thousand OF
these have been devastated by Austro-
German troops. More than a million
horses and two million head Of horned
cattle have been seized by invaders,
and in the whole of l00,0 900 square kllo-
metres in the possession Of Austro-
German troops not 4 grain or corn. not
y scrap Of meat nor drop OF milk re-
mained for the civil population.
material losses up TO the present
ere estimated at one milliard roubles.
Agriculture. which represented an an
nual value of $500. 900 francs. is ruined,
and industry which represented 1000
600 francs a year has been DESTROYED.
No fewer than 100000 workmen have
lost the means of livelihood.
"The state of things in Galicia IS
lust as dreadful, for the civil .popula-
tion are innocent victims Of the war.
or $500 square kilometres, all except
5000 square kilometres around Cracow
are in possession Of the Russians. They
have commandeered 100000 horses and
about 200. 900 head of horned cattle, and
seized all corn. Part OF the saline
fields have been taken, and the oil
wells. The rich country is a desert.
"Over 100000 inhabitants sought
refuge in other parts OF Austria. They
are in sheer destitution, wandering
through the country with nothing but
the clothes they were wearing.