Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-03

London, July l9-The story Of the
siege Of Warsaw is told for the first
time by a Polish gentleman, son of a
large landowner in the outskirts of the
city, who has just arrived here, and
who speaks as an eyewitness fresh
from the scene. his estate being today
the artillery park of the Russian cen
ter from which their heavy field guns
are manoeuvred for the defense Of the
city. His recital for The Associated
Press is a record of his own personal
observations and he scrupulously re-
Trains from any reference to general
conditions not coming under his own
| eye.
Warsaw. Is it city of terror and
confusion, people ask me. Not at all;
human relations go on as usual and
human nature finds its usual outlet
Warsaw is the background for mil
lion Russian troops. This makes it
the center for great number of Rus
sian officers and strangers who give it
a cosmopolitan appearance Of anima-
ton and even of gaiety. The well-to-
do people living east of the city have
passed through to points of safety in
the west. The land downing peasantry
for in Poland the peasants own
land-have not the means of flight
and are stranded in the city, but keep
out of sight. So that the city, with
its many officers in gay uniform, it's
strangers and refugees, is transformed
from it's usual peaceful aspect and has
taken on the appearance of metrop-
oils
THE streets are thronged. The the
aires are open and crowded. The
restaurants have throngs at their
tables and on the street terraces. The
cinemetograph shows are packed,
There are bands and concerts. The
feeling of terror does not seem to
have struck the crowds. 1t is like the
life Of London, which goes ON with
little thought of the Zeppelins. Only
once has there been panic-when the
Russian bank closed it's doors and all
other banks followed Ready money
could not be had and everyone was in
dread of the stoppage of funds and
the interruption of the usual means
of business and exchange. But that
panicky period has all passed, the
banks are open and business is pro-
ceeding normally but with terrible
economic change in prices, particular
ly in foodstuffs, Warsaw is absolute
ly dependent for its food supplies on
two railways But these are now in
the hands of the military, who need
4 them for the movement of troops. and
the food for the troops. Poland it
self supplies nothing, for the fields
are burned and yield nothing.
| prince Seweryn Czetwertyuski has
taken the lead in graphing the prob
lens confronting the city--frst to get
enough food, and next public health
and sanitation, combating the cholera
plague which carried off hundreds out
side the city with IL cases in Warsaw,
and reburying the masses of soldiers
dead who had been hastily thrown
together in shallow surface graves.
He is man Of great executive abil-
ity, one of the grand conseigneurs of
Poland, and is at the head of War
saws Central Committee which deals
with all emergencies.
His first effort was for the food to
meet the imperative needs of the city
and surrounding country. chiefly corn,
| flour and prime necessities. The Rus
sian authorities were favorable, but
the military requirements came first,
and, besides, the urgent needs led to
| bribery among the petty railway offic-
| ials, so that cars could not be got or
moved without large payments. l my
self saw 500 rubles of bribery exact
ed for moving a car of fish. So that
Warsaw's stock of food has been get
ting scarcer and prices are mounting.
Bread is double and triple the usual
price. Eggs which sold for two cents
are now six. At Easter each Russian
soldier received four eggs-a million
soldiers around Warsaw meant four
million eggs-and the country was
stripped of eggs There is absolutely
no beef and pound of poor meat
now costs 60 copecs against the usual
price of "a copecs-the poorest quality
of steppe oxen.
Meantime the army is very we'll fed.
! but back of the army is the vast
hemmed-in population and peasantry
practically living on the leavings of the
army.
| prince Seweryn's emergency commit
tee has next given it's attention to the
threatening health conditions. The dead
soldiers were very badly buried at first.
near wells where the water was pollut-
ed. and in heaps just under the surface
near houses. But all the bodies have
now been reburied deeply and away from
| wells and houses. This has stopped the
cholera, which was the greatest dread.
even in Warsaw although nothing could
be made known of it. In the estate next
| to ours the house was turned into a
cholera hospital and from this one place
hole 10
on the main line of the passing army,
so that many soldiers were stricken with
the plague. But the committee has now
saved the city and suburbs from that
danger. In December the plague was at
its worst: by February the reburial of
bodies and other sanitary measures had
4 effectually checked it, and now there is
no cholera in Warsaw or outside.
1.-THE German army has shown no
quarter to the country. but there has
been no wanton destruction except at
Kaliscz. At my place they stopped 10
days, taking all the cows and much
clover. but not destroying. They paid by
slip of paper, which means they never
paid. They took our best horses for the
artillery, and gave wounded horse and
a slip for 100 marks. But they kept re.
peating Everything is paid for"
1.-THE Germans carry no tents. and
have no fond s,innlies with them so that