Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-12-07
Editors Letter Box
Why Not a "Poland's Sunday?

been made for the victims OF the war
in Europe, the sufferings of which
must be entirely beyond the concep-
! ton of those living in a land of COM
fort and plenty. So far the great bulk
of the money raised has gone. and
gone worthily. to alleviate little Bel
GUM. but there is now 4 territory far
larger, with a much greater popula-
ton. and with an amount OF human
grief beyond the capacity Of under
standing, and which the generosity OF
the best and noblest of humanity has
scarcely touched. Poland. the people
of which have suffered for centuries
but not to the extent that those that
remain of them are suffering today.
Miss Laurence Alma Tadema, Hon.
Sec'y of the Polish Victims Relief
Fund, London, writes of The Children
Of Poland" I'VE can no more help
Poland adequately in her appalling
distress than we can stem a rising
food with autumn leaves. And yet
We must go on doing what we can TO
mitigate sufferings which will only be
known when the war is over, sufferings
so great that no effort of imagination
can seize or bring them home to the
heart.
/ The earth which the Polorians love
as no earth is loved by any other race
! has been torn. violated, devastated
from end TO end. The villages are in
ruins, the harvests trampled or stol-
en-: the sacred shrines are desecrated;
the ancestral mansions where the past
was still part of today. piously pre-
served for tcmorrow's inheritance, are
rifled of their treasure, looted and de-
molished. Poland is lacerated over the
whole of her body: mangled. she now
lies starving To death. A young man
and woman leave their cottage al the
approach Of the enemy: the mother
carries her child closely bound against
her bosom BY a shawl Some days
later their corpses are found by the
; roadside: the child stirs; a merciful
hand unWinds the shawl and lifts il:
the mothers breast is laid bare: the
child in the awful pangs of its hunger
+ has snawed into the bone.
There are now no children in tho
villages. for all the little ones under
six years Of age have succumbed al
ready.
Think Of il, a whole land without
its children. Others are being born at
this moment. God knows how. on the
Waysde, in the charred cottage. in the
cattle truck that bears the refugee
into exile-born only TO die. Their
little bodies are left on the road. q
hideous trail.
We cannot yet help to build up
Poland's ruins; We cannot even reach
the millions who are starving on their
own soil. where a little while ago the
harvest stood in golden abundance.
There are reasons why we cannot
reach them. We can only send money
70 help save the children of refugees.
which recent events have driven-a
Geluse OF human rlisery--on to Rus
sian soil. The generous British ma
ton. which has given millions for the
relief Of the Belgians, has given us
already neary e29,00o for the relief Of
the Poles: the noble British Dominions
have sent us nearly 6 >. GOO
We ask, without hesitation. TOR more.
If Poland were not so far away. il all
that she stands for in culture and no.
billy We're not so little realized we
knew that Great Britain woula be help
ing her today, both morally and ma
terially. as much as she has helped
Belgium already
In this grave hour of perils and Of
grief for the world those who have
suffered least are asked to remember
those who have suffered most
Is it necessary TO say more? Is there
SO worthy OF the large heartedness and
humanity Of the American people: Let
even the humblest and poorest of US
ask ourselves wha: can we do: and
may those who are blessed with plenty
also humhly ask themselves if the:
arr giving good account of that
which is leaned to them for this life
only.
This appeal may reach but a very
small section of this great and pros
Porous country. but even Kennebec
county. Maine could do much. One
tenth Of one per cent. Of what we pos
sess. would that be much to sacrifice
for such a cause? would save the lives
of thousands, aye. tens of thousands
of innocent children and grief stricken
women. Were this done, what an
everlasting monument to Kennebec
county, Maine. and what an example
to the rest of comfortable Christen-
dom"
Gould not the clergy of all denomi-
nations Of each city and town get to-
gether and appoint one Sunday be
tween now and the New Year, call it
"Poland's day and give the offertories
Tor that day to this cause If we
looked for reward, would we not get it
in brighter and happier Christmas ?
The power of the press is great,
hence the effort to bring it before the
clergy and public generally by the aid
of our daily paper. Let US realize that
it is within the range of possibility
that portions of this fair land may be,
in our day and generation. even as
some of the nations of Europe are to-
day: and were it so. and our cry went
up il would be answered by those
whose turn it is now to sip their cup
of sorrow
Faithfully yours.
CHAS. o. ELNIN.
East Readfield, Me, Dec 4, 1915.