Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-26
ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence)

and throughout the. Eastern zone of
operations centers attention on the
colossal tragedy Of Poland, the sec
ond that unhappy country has en-
dured. the first having stirred Amer
lea to its depths when Kosciuszco
went there to tell Poland's own story
and left its memories in the statue Of
the Polish liberator in one Of the
public squares Of Washington.
But that first tragedy was as moth
ing compared with what Poland is
now undergoing, the entire theatre of
Eastern fighting being within the ter
ritory of the old kingdom of Poland,
with Russian armies tramping over
the country from the east. Austrian
armies from the south, and German
armies from the north and west, all
Poland as in a double
vice from four sides, marching and
fighting on a scale of unprecedented
wreck and desolation even greater
than that Of Belgium or Serbia. This
is the testimony Of disinterested eye
witnesses. Polish, English and Ameri-
can, who have recently traversed the
regions, including c. c. Glib
son Of the Rockefeller Foundation,
who declared on his return that this
was one Of the greatest tragedies the
world had known, the devastation Of
Belgium shrinking in comparison.
Such Geographic news as trickles
through from Poland. except the Of
fetal reports of military operations
from the three sides. is censored and
garbled and gives only the picture of
fighting. without that of the PROSTATE
country under the heels of the fight
ers pressing from four sides. But
from witnesses returning, from
Polish student refugees from the
scourged district, and from letters to
those who have sought asylum here,
there is a mass Of information on the
real conditions at the scene Of these
gigantic Eastern operations. Much of
this information flows into the hands
of Miss Laurence Alma -Tadema,
daughter of the great English artist,
who for three months has been work.
ing day and night as the secretary and
directing genius of the Polish relief
committee. whose officers and patrons
embrace about every name Of note in
England-peers, cabinet members.
ambassadors, artists and authors.
Think of the magnitude of this
appalling Polish tragedy" said Miss
Alma -Tadema to a representative of
The Associated Press. 1T is difficult
for us in England or America. with
serene, to cast the minds
eye across Europe and grasp the fact
that all the titanic Eastern battles are
being fought on Polish soil. And 1t
is not only gigantic struggle of in
vading armies from without, one fol-
lowing another with all their train Of
ruin and desolation. but it partakes
almost of civil conflict with Pole
fighting against Pole.
There are" she went on, about
twelve million Russian Poles. and
about the same number Of Austrian
and Prussian Poles. All Of them have
that intense longing to see Poland
rise again as unified kingdom. And
yet Of these twenty -four million Poles,
a million Polish soldiers are fighting
in the Russian ranks. and another
million are fighting in the Austrian
and German Enthusiastically brother
against brother. One of the reports
reaching me tells Of a body of Polish
on the Russian side, charg-
ing at a body of the enemy, with
bayonets raised and the battle cries
from both sides-only to dis
tinguish as they came to grips that
both were shouting the cry of Poland
by common impulse. every bayonet
was lowered and every man in the
facing ranks fell on his knees and in
their common language breathed the
Lords prayer. That was Poland's
prayer on the battlefield Of this
terrible Eastern conflict.
Here is another thoroughly au-
thenticated case" said Miss Alma
radema: "A Polish infantyman raised
his rifle and fired point blank at an
advancing foe. only to see him pitch
forward and hear him cry out In
Polish, My God l leave a wife and
three children And this agonizing
lying cry in Polish rang in the ears
II the brother Pole who had fired the
shot, torturing him night and day, I'M
Ill he literally went mad and was
aiken from the ranks raving
maniac.
1T was natural that the Russian
Pole should cast his lot with Russia, |
md this loyalty has been rewarded
~ the inspired proclamation Of Grand
Duke Nicholas promising freedom for |
poland, a pledge which every Russian |
Pole accepts in good faith as fore
the reunification Of the |
'olish nation. On the other hand the !
Poles showed perfectly |
latural first movement Of allegiance
O Austria which had given them the
light Of their own faith and language
nd some semblance of freedom. This
nd the laws Of compulsory military
ervice brought almost million
'oles into the Austro German ranks
o light against their brothers in the
russian ranks. And yet in both
AUSTRIA and Prussia the overwhslin-
ng majority Of the Poles are at heart
olidly with the kingdom Of Poland"
When Mr.. Gibson Of the Rockefeller
returned from Poland he
old Miss Alma-Tadema Of the terrible
Genes he had witnessed in the stricken
esions. Together they planned for
Extensive measures of relief, to be sent
Trough GERMANY with the approval Of n