Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-04-01


America has poured out millions in donations
in response to the cry Of the stricken Begans Come and
help u.s. Padeewsk the famous Polish pianist drops the
human sympathes in behalf of people who have suffered
still than the deserving Begians. the despoed men
and women and children of his native Poland.
The reports have told public of the burning of
thousands of villages in Poland the Germans and Rus;
slams have swaed back and forth their death gppe and
of the widespread devastation which has oveaken the Poles
in this great struggle An adequate conception of the sit
of times the Germans have made their famous drives toward
Warsaw and the number of times they have been forced
back of leaving path of devastation and
desoation and woe in its wake.
No region Of Europe has been fought over 50 many
garrison of Przemys chewing leather to keep themselves
from starving you are brought face to face with the fact
that Austria in Russia and eastern Prussia the
Polish districts have borne the brnt of battle throughout
Bearing in mind the sad fate which has now befalen
the Poles in three adjoining countries have only to
call the historical fact that Poland kingdom renowned
in medieval times the champion of Chrsendom against
the Turks and that it later "fe among thieves to realize
the extent to which its stricken people entitled to the
profound sympathy of the civilized world in their
dented misfortunes.
Go back with in imagination little over century,
and we shall find Poland splendid nation including terri
tory which in 1859 had population of great
that of the United States shortly before the begin
ing of Civil War During the period of it's greatest
tent embraced large part of the great central European
plain extending at time from the Baltic the north
to the Black the south and from the Oder to the Don
included Austrian Gaicia for which Russia strug
Cling, and western Prussia as we'll the whole Warsaw
Earlier in its history Poland whose people chronological
were branch of the says seemed far more likely to dom;
to Poland 1886 through the marriage of Duke of Luana
made powerful kingdom, while Russia still under the
feet of the Mongos Tartars whose descendants
trembling in the face of little Japan.
The Poles and Lthuanans took possession large
rtores formerly Russian that Russia entirely cut
tinued to expand With the rise in Russia however of
the terrible who was first to the title of "Czar the
Strangely enough the decline of the Poles is attributed
to what washington would have warned them against
foreign entangements." Outside influences to dom
mate the Polish government and this made possible
through the substitution by the Poles of elective
archy for the previous restriction to family Every
country in Europe set candidate for the Polish
and many candidate empted his purse into the Polish capt.
ta with general decentralization the inevitable result:
temporary restoration of Polish prestige followed the
rise of John Sobeis to whom all Europe and the whole
terms world is indebted Under his leadership the Poles
drove back the Turks in $685. when they had advanced
the very gates of Vienna they were stormng
centuries of it's history Poland sold it's throne
after another until there was little left of real nationality
the general of the Polish succession in 1888 when
tra lost the Sce to Span having been of the fruits
Frederick the Great of Prussia the whom the
present German Kaiser takes his military hero and model
proposed to Austria and Russia the partition Poland and
l772 the first partition made despite the appeal Of
King Stanisla to the other European powers for mediation
second partition occurred in 1898 and in the following
year the famous Polish hero Koscsko made gallant last
stand for his nation putting himself at the head of the
tona movement in Cracow and later in Warsaw. With
10000 regular troops and 10000 alarmed peasants he
sisted for months the united Prssian and Russian army
100000 but finally ovepowered in the battle of Macie
owice in 1894.
Kosciusko was long imprisoned but was freed by EN-
peor Paul of Russia and when Napoleon planned the resora
ton of Poland in 1906 the Polish hero restrained by his
promise to the emperor from taking the leadership Fol-
lowing Koscuskos overthrow the third and last partition
of Poland occurred in 1885, the whole of this great kingdom
thus being divided between Prussia Austria and Russia
Russian Poland which had borne the name of
utional kingdom from 1915 with the Car of Russia
its king and the latters brother vcero made heroic
effort to break it's letters in $780, but the revolt put
down with unmercfu severity and thousands of hapess
patriots sent into exile in Darker Siberia.
AS late 1912 Russia still struggling with it's
Polish problem The nationalist proposed by NJ
Stoypn great oense to the Poles clause providing
that the province of Khom would longer part
of the Kingdom of Poland The Russian especial
y dissatisfied because they had not been given self
men like their brethren in Austria Gaca having diet of
it's
To suppress the Poles without eevatng democracy
Stoypin had established the ingenus system of national
"curias somewhat analogous to the class system in Prus
a Under the Russian system, however, the electors
divided into two curas according to nationality instead
of in Prussia and the curas chose the
This Polish problem still under bitter discussion
when the present broke out concate the
large Polish population that the Gar promised
reunited and independent Poland in the of the defeat