The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-04-01
SHEER VAL0R AND LEADERSHIP
MADE TWO AUSTRIAN GENERALS
PsudSy Secretly Formed Polish Legion Defeated cossacs and
Without Orders Took KieIoeMany Professional Men in His
Command-FisCher Gained Promotion Through
Gallant Defense of BukoWina. ~.f
Austrian Press Headquarters. -

erals Dankl and Auffenberg undertook
their first offensive and victorious &C
ton across the frontier OF Russian
Poland, much surprise was caused by
the news that division Of young Pol
ish sharpshooters, many OF whom had
just outgrown boyhcod, had on dark
night surrounded a division OF Cos
sacks, had killed every man. had
marched as far as the city of Kielce
and had taken possession Of it" Many
people in Austria heard of this strong
corps of volunteers, which in the
course Of the war has developed to
an important factor. for the first time
when the news of that successful cx-
petition was published.
| The newspapers, it is true, had
taken notice about a year before the
war, when these young volunteers had
marched past the aged emperor IN
the park of Schoenbrunn and had
shown themselves in their comely uni
| forms with excellent arms in the
streets of Vienna. But 1t was gener-
ally assumed that they belonged 10
some kind Of military preparatory
school, such as exist In Switzerland.
| Only very few were aware that this
corps was intended to play an i'm
portant role in the eventuality OF var.
The way in which the corps was
| formed was a secret, and the appear
ance OF "The Polish Legion which
has earned fame and honors wherever
| IL served the purposes of war, came
as a surprise to most people. The
history Of the corps is reawakening
OF the romance of old times. "' Z"
Founded on Hatred Of Russia.
The Polish Legion was called to
life by single man, whose talent for
organization was paired with a vlru
lent, burning hatred against Russia
with the Unborn, indomitable will to
rescue his country from the Russian
yoke Joseph Won Pilsudsky-that is
his name-was a reyolutionist so lone
as he lived in Warsaw, one of party
which attempted to realize the old
never abandoned dream Of q resusci
tated free Poland. =
| DuTlu6 IH0 IbNOluIAOh VI I0Oop IhN
biggest and most dangerous for. Rus
sia in recent times, Pilsudsky fought
on the barricades of Warsaw in tht
foremost lines of his compatriots. Tit
attempt to burst the Russian chains
failed, like all previous efforts, be
cause the Poles were too weak Il
resist unaided and alone. The result
for the leaders was dungeon in 81
IBERIA or the gallows. PiIsudsky and
many others escaped this fate. He
managed to cross the Austrian from
tier and settled in Galicia, where hi
found fertile field for the cultivation
of his Ideals
He decided that the Austrian Poles
who enjoy equal rights with all the
subjects of the dual monarchy, mus
help him to liberate their oppressed
brothers living across the Vistula
Pilsudsky began by addressing him
self to the very young and he sue
ceeded in waking their enthusiasm.
The Polish Nationalists and the So
cialists were the first to answer to hi
call and their young sons and broth
ers enlisted without tarrying in thu
JungschuetZen-Vereine (young men:
shooting clubsl, which he established
everywhere. Their immediate ain
was to make the young men hard!
and to teach them the use of weapons
the liberation Of Russian Polant
their ultimate scope. The latter wa
never admitted officially. The Aus
TRAN government therefore was no
bound to interfere, not even in time
of peace. ..in- -. .
Takes kieice unbidden
Then the war broke out. The en-
thusiastic leader assembled his force
in Cracow, and as the Polish Legion
did not form part Of the army at tina
time he chose dark night ant
marched his 1900 we'll armed mel
across the Russian frontier on hi
own responsibility, anxious to prov
: that the young Poles were worthy o
being taken into the army. The result
was the combat with a division o
mounted Cossacks and the occupation
; Of Kielce in which undertaking infau
try helped. E-t .>
The Polish Legion held the cit!
three weeks, and when it had to with
draw before an overpowering RUSSIA
force 1t fought bravely and caused tn
enemy heavy losses. The Austrian
: army leaders admitted that the younI
corps had fully proved it's valor an
. Pilsudsky's activity was officially sane
toned. The Polish Legion had mad
/ its way.
Pilsudsky was especially anxious t
} add cavalry corps to the Legion
: He began with six horses and at tn
i end Of two months he had two squad
rons. He asked for artillery. and a
& no others could be spared the arm,
/ authorities gave him twenty old gun
that had to be fired with gunpowdel
|, However he had an excellent artiller,
/ officer who obtained splendid result
!. from those old guns.
. In the meantime he continued to er
, Hist young Poles. and the victory o
Kielce proved so great an attraction
| that vary soon his forces numbers