The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-21
POLISH PEOPLE MAY
HAVE THEIR DAY
PARIITIONED COUNTRY MAY RE-
GAIN AUTONOMY IN THE
PRESENT WAR,

: Washington, Feb.s 2g.--Americar
sympathy can be given without re-
serve to "partitioned Poland" the
magnificent, much-promising Empire
of yesterday. the keen suffering bat
tlefield OF today. whose farms and In
dustry. villages and cities are being
made war-offerings and whose people
are fighting enc another under three
/ different flags; for Poland Is the
least concerned sacrifice in the Euro
pean struggle. Polish lands comprise
almost the entire eastern war-theater
This people, their chequed, turbulent
history, their proud boasts and dear
est hopes, and their peculiar charac.
t teristics are carefully explained to
Americans In historfco- geogra phica
study made for the National Geeo-
graphic Society by William Joseph
Ehowalter.
| Mr.. Showalter says of the brilliant
Middle European kingdom of yester-
day:
I'm size she outranked nearly every
nation of the continent. Even now
Russia alone of the European nations
IL larger than Poland was at her
greatest. In population she stood q,
the forefront of Europe: only Russia
and Germany today have greater pop
ulation than are to be found in the
lands that once were Poland; for un-
partit!oned Poland had an area OF
$4,000 square miles. and the lands
that once lay within her boundaries
row support a population of fifty mil
hon. In area she was as large a.
he German Empire. Switzerland. Bel
I fum. Holland and Denmark together:
nd within what were her borders
there dwelEs present population
ereer than those of France, Belgium
I nd Holland combined +"
Thougs III years have gone by
since the final partition OF Poland
among Russia Austria and Germany
and though the conanerors have made
the most vigorous efforts to assimi,ate
the Polish people. the Pole today. II
anyway changed. is more intensely
national. Mr.. Showolter points out
more passionately devoted to an ideal
OF a re-established Pollard than ever
before. The Pole has a ferveat love
for all things Polish, this writer
continues:
! He will tell you that their cook
Ing In better than that of Pals; that
their scenery IL more beautiful than
that Of any country: that their Ian
guage Is the most meiodious that falls
from human lips: that there IL no
dance In the world to be compared
with the mazurka: that the most
beautiful women ON the face OF the
: arth and the bravest men who ever
: wed are to be found among them:
I hat the Poles are a cheerful. hospi-
/ able. easily pleased, and an smagina-
! i've race: and that yet, in spite OF an
/ Notwithstanding all this. they are the
most unhappy pteopie and theirs the
most hapless nation in history"
| Poland was three time partitioned
! The final appointment was made at
! he Congress OF Vienna In 1915. which
| eft 10 Russia, 100000: Prussia. 26, 0 90,
and Austria. $4,000 square miles
After this distribution, the conquerors
sought to blot out all memories OF
the Kingdom. Poland. and Mr. Sho-
/ walter. enumerl ties among the repre-s
sive measures employed to this end
those forbidding the use OF the Polish
language. the use OF the national dress
even at carnivals--the singing oil
national songs and the displaying OF
national coats-of-arms.
! The Poles lost their place among
the family OF nations because they
We're the victims of an unrestrained In
dividuaiism. Yet, where the Poles
are willing to surrender some part OF
their individualism in the service OF
an IDEAS in the case in the United
States--they make the best citizens
America Is a decided gamer by the
most CT Poles who have sought her
shores. is the conclusion of the writer.