The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-12-27
GERMANS REBUILD
POLAND. Highways.
Have Already Spent a Mil
lion and a Half Dollars
on Them.
6sarsf
tRs sAssocin 3Pressl !;

u - = = q >
WARSAW.siDe az Something ,ov.
esasmillion ane afaalt Of dollars have
! been expended by the Germans since
ethetr ocelp ney Of Poland In recon.
structihg ths anspsakably bad roads
that eriEs.cross sfher kingdom at, more
sor ietssi rare intervals, and which have
been an but DESTROYED by artillery
. mo by the transportation OF big guns,
ammunition and food supplies. :
ln Fcr those In charge oil: The Recon.
Stsnction OF Conn ections between the
! Armies and Homo the task has
grown with each kilometer that the
Gsrmhns have won from > the rus.
stans, Frior 10 tho 4fal! of Warsaw
there were approximatelyi 1o4s kilo.
meters 1906 miles Of roads to be re.
: paired but when the Russians re.
treated 10 Brest Eitoysk, and then
abandoned that fortress, the mileage
Increased TO $40 / kilometers: .(340o
males1 md the difficulties, involved
rev greater with each additional
nile, 3 3 ~. II q: r !. Z.
The Germans found, on, their arr.
VA, q few so.callady Imperial roads
which xere. for. the most part, strips
Of sand From the Inhabitants
such OF them us, remained they
learned that taxes for: the, upkeeps OF
tho thoroughfares had been collected
over, and oyer--:7and never; spent Ifor
the purpose INTENDED. A second class
sot roads, the so-called government
-streets' were oil but impossible, and
The. third variety consisted OF roads
that not only were :impassablet but
tmpo ssible. All three sorts were
torn by shells cut by trenches, and
rutted BY both Russian and, German
/ Wagons bound for. the front. -. \
The Germans In charge. OF, road re.
building claim that they never have
{ Ind any word as to the ultimate In:
fenton OF their government with re-
.spect to Poland -g==thnt their work has
gone on irreenectiv of any intention
to annex the ancient kingdom, that
the work has been done purely3as a
= sort Of philanthroplcs measure and
that w will stand as a HERITAGE for
those who may in the future govern
Poland -. = ~ ~
That Il has been thoroughly done,
however Is q ttestedy toy by the fact
: that between 1000 and IS 900 labor.
ers have been employed in the$ya;
rtoiis ctionsF of Poland. Most \ of
these men are Poles, thrown out iof
their ordinary occupations by a
shortage 8of raw materials.
throughout the length and breadth
ef Poland the sand stretches are be-!
Ing 8holstered sup with wood and
stcne-and 100000 cubic meters zap:
proximate yard) have (, been fused \
tilus far In marking passable roads, ev
enin districts where no military need
Tor them exists. e z
For instance, "a road rs ykilomcteys
In length has beer Sbutlt to the south
pf LODI. where there have been no
sImiss foEs I'd I'd III re. and where there
y. n s,,a ,I5 s9spse i; 4. Of 2 need
ecint They aslg epntinues. and q
contrast bef~eeYf the Old and now or.
der o. thiniss-ehsiiy Snbtainable In
the courhe' bt Hide outside of Lodz
--siyes q glimpse Of tho constructive
efforts Of tho Gesmnns; Il w;
Tho Polish population ID general
has proven thankful for what Il, has
been hccomplishcda al ionRlly SO
because thousands or lis men and
women have received emplo yment In
the Reconstruction OF the Polish roads,
and have ID thIR way been sayed from
tho starvation that otherwise stared
them IN tho face. !. q 4 q
ey.tlAn' t,s men have done hs most