The Alaska daily empire., 1915-07-12

Nature. unf0rtonately for Poland provided no obvious barrlers-lcr in- decd Poland 'gas vast plaiu orn to lncuislons on an sides with powerful enemies on the arthoiol frontors
 The Poles Inhabited Che. hasins or ,he rivers Oder and Yistula where they have liven for centuries in loose ! iy connected communities 8imp.c lives as herdsmen and agrlcultural- fists. According to the best accounts. Che piost dynasty came to the throne about lhe beginning of the ninth cen tury which ruled over Poland for aoout five centuries.
 Converted To Christianity
 Mleslsias was the first Christian prince who over ruled over Poland from 962 Co e92, who having married a Bohemian princess. was induced by her to convert his people Co Chris tianity Miecisias was quite success ful converting his subjects to the new faith. He broke down with his own hands lhe idols Of his country It was love that induced the prince to for sake the idolatry and superstition Of his ancestors
 Roieciast l. surnamed the Brave, son Of Miecislas. succeeded Go tho throne in 992. He was an able and ambitious ruler. who extended his Kingdom from the River Elbe on the west ts tSe Bug on the east and from the Bidtic on the north. to the Car pathian mountains on the south.
 Honored By cermans
 In the year 1000 he was visited at his capital. Gnesen. by the German emperor. Otto IT, whom he enter. talned lavishly with great pomp and splendor Hewas acknowledged as an independent monarch by the emperor who himself placed crown upon the head of Bolesias and declared him king of Poland and his equal. As Boleas crowned himsef as king the second time. with the sanction of the Pope. he evidently regarded the first coronation as somewhat doubtful
 Subsequently, the German emperors repeatedly attempted to re-establish their suzeninty over Poland and for generations constant wars were car ried on between the Polish kings and the German emperors.
 During this period, 1908, the Teu- tonic knights were invited by Con rad. Duke or Masogia. to Christianize the pagan Prussions. who occupied the territory adioinng him.
 Teutons Military Monks.
 These Teu,ons were military monks. and the order was originally created for the defense Of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem; having just been expelled from Hungary they joy fully accepted Conrads invitation These knights. who were also known as Knights of the Cross. on account of a black cross upon their white cloaks. established themselves on the vistula in 1928
 They were good soldiers but very bad monks They accomplished the Christlanizadon of the pagan Prus. sians with fire and sword and. having exterminated the nati'S-. .hey colon lzed the land wiD Germans who were brought into the country. When these zealous monks ran out of pag cans to Christianlze they directed their attacks against Poland. They formed a powerful state, controlled entirely by the order. at the head of which was the grand master of the order
 Ancestry of Prusslans
 These Teulonic knights are the or iginal founders and progenitors Of the PrEssians of today and Albert the grand master of the order. who in 1926 threw off his nonkish cloak which was a mask of hypocrisy of the order for centuries. making himself a secular prince, was Hohenzoilern, and an ancestor of the present King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany. They brospered and grew powerful through the maganimity of Poland; ye. in future years one of their des- ! cendants. Frederick IT,. Of Prussia. was the arch plotter for the partition Of Poland Prussia was once lief of the Polish crown. and the Hohen- zollerns. rulers Of Prussia. had to pay homage to the rings of Poland
 The greatest and the best ruler of the Piast Dynasty was Casimir. sur named the Great, who was also called Che king of the peasants. because Of the great interest be took In their welfare He was the Polish Justinian j because he caused all the laws to be reduced into a code. Regular courts were appointed throughout the realm with a supreme court at Cracow; thus security was established for life and property
 craoow University is64
 He promoted agriculture, the trades and commerce. he built fortresscs and cities, constructed highways, drained marshes and extended popu. lar education and founded tho re. nownedUniyerslty of Cracow. in 1864. casimir having died without issue, with him the Piast dynasty terminat. ed although it continued through the female line. While he still lived the nobles elected him successor to his nephew, Louis. King of Hungary
 Louis had no sons, only daughters and being anxious tl9t one of them should occupy the throne of Poland, he began to treat with the Polish mo- bles, who, after receiving numerous nrIrilaras -naennlnd fn hia dnalrn