The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-11
POLES WE'RE ONCE
 THE SAVIORS OF THE
 CIVILIZATION OF EUROPE

While the Belgians have suffered terribly in the war, their sad plight 1 is no worse than that of the Poles, whose whole country, from north to south and from east to west, has been transformed into one bloody battle field. While the Belgians have been forced by their German masters to engage in the manufacture of arms which may be used to slay their countrymen, they have not been fore ed to take part in the slaughter of their brethren. Such is the tragic lot of the Po1es--to fight and kill each other in a cause which is alien to them, in the service of governments which they hate It is true that Polish nationality was already a thing of the distant past, and a dream of the future, when the present war turned dismembered Poland into a shambles, and thus the Poles have the consolation that the terrible convul- sion may result in restoring to them theg fit of independence. It is a vain hope, perhaps, but nevertheless it is the one ray of light which Eliminates the black pail of war. Out of the , nightmare of horrors may come the realization of the dream
 For Poland was once great and powerful and proud. Once the soldiers
 
 iors if the civilization of Europe. There was time when Austria, which later took part in the partition and sub5ugation of Poland. called upon the Poles for help to save their ca pita1 from the Turks, and called not in vain.
 In all the glorious history of Po- land no page is more brilliant than that which records the salvation of Vienna from the Ottomans- This Sunday will be the 232nd anniversary of the raising of the Turkish siege of Vienna by John III, King of Poland the immortal and i1Iustrious Sobieslki. Tn the latter part of the seventeenth century the Ottoman Empire was far from being the 'tsick man of Europe" The Sultans entertained ambitions to rule all Europe and make the faith of Mohammed the prevailing religion of the continent. And Europe trem- b1ed before this threat. After years of preparation, the Mussulnans were ready to strike in 1883. The time was propitious, for the Hungarians, threat ened by their sovereign, Leopold I. of Germany, with the loss of their privileges. were in revolt. The Huns were not only willing to give the Turks a free passage through their country but they even dispatched a semal1 force to join the great Ottoman army
 
 pha. A quarter of a million strong, and provided with every weapon known to the military science of that day, the Turks marched through Aus trfa without any difficulty, and laid siege to Vienna.
 At the approach of the Turks the craven Emperor Leopold of. Germany fled from Vienna, retiring first to Lintz and afteWward to PaSSau, 1eav- ing the Duke of Lorraine and a lit tie army to try to save the capital and the empire. In this crisis all Europe expected Vienna to fall, and with it the German empire It is certain that power, but the Grand Vizier delayed ordering a. general assault. He had heard that the Emperor had left vast treasurers in Vienna, and his avarice led him to delay while he was mak- ing sure that the there was left no avenue by which the booty could be removed.
 N While the Turks played their game or tswatchfm waiting." and the em-g pire was trembling the brink of ruin, Emperor Leopold and the Pope appealed to John III, King of Poland. This monarch, a native of Ga1icia, had. distinguished himself as a gen. eral, and in 1874, on the death of Michael Corybut, was, elected King of
 
 soldier, was recognized as the ablest of generals, and it was to him that all Europe looked for salvation. Let Pole rule over Poland' had been the cry when he was elevated to the throne, and while the royal courts Of Europe frowned upon the plan to give the kingly power. to man born a commoner, they were ready and will ing to solicit his aid in time of need.
 King John had about 77,O0O men under his command, a part of them Germans, when he reached Vienna. Although his army had made the journey by forced marches, King John gave the soldiers DO time to re- cuperate, but ordered an immediate attack on the Turks. On Sept 12, 1883, the Polish king, after the cele- bration of masses, ordered a charge on the dense masses of the N4oslems entrenched on the plains below the city The assault was made sinul- taneously on the wings and center of the enemy The Turks fought brave1y, but they were soon driven out of their entrenchments, and com pfetely routed. Turks by tens of thousands were left dead and wound ed on the field of battle, and six pashas were slain. The Grand Vizier managed to escape with the remnant of his grand army but his retreat WAS SO pIcS1pAidlS IIldl lie. 10II DSn1nQ his his own treasure, as well as the standard of the Prophet, which King John sent to the Pope.
 After his victory, which was achiev- ed principally by the elan and bravery of the Poles-tI1e German allies talk ing little part in. the battle - King John hade a triumphal entrance into Vienna, where he was acclaimed by the popu1ace as the savior of Chris tendon.
 Austrian ingratitude to the Poles was manifested in the very hour of the empires salvation, for Emperor Leopold, who had fled from Vienna at the first sign of danger, now return ed with all the pomp and ceremony of a conquering hero He was greet ed cold1y by his subjects, while the Polish king was cheered as a hero, and this aroused the Jealousy and ha-