South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-05

thousands wounded. We organize !
Americana Polish hospital; beg you /
and wife TO form committees ap-
pealing to Poles and Americans for |
financial help. which is needed uT-
gently. Suggest arranging for
transmission of funds through the
state department
Signed
GEORGE SOSNOWSKI,
WITOL DFUCHS.
The above cablegram was receiV ed
recently. 1t reveals a situation un-
paralleied in history. One million
Polish boys are at the front; thousands !
are slain, many thousand wounded at
the hands OF their own brothers. They /
gre not fighting a common foe. Not
as the Belgian boy. who dies TO testify
to the fOrtitude of his people. Not as
the French boy. who dies TO revenge !
PruSsian invasion Not as the SerVian /
boy. who dies fighting the hated Aus !
trian. Not as the British lad. who
dies fntestimony OF his country's fidel- |
ity. Not as the Russian boy who dies
for the little father and his holy |
church. Not as the German boy, who /
dies TO add glory to the house Of Ho- |
henzollern.
No, the Polish boy dies because they
have forced upon him the uniform of |
his oppressOr. Clad in Russian uni /
form, he has no quarrel with his
brother who wears the cOlOrs of Ger
many or Austria. He feels no 10y
atty and owes no allegiance to his SOW
ereign, except by coercion. He fights
but he has no interest in the cause. |
If he is victorious. he wins for his op-
pressor- If he dies, he descends to |
an unhOnOred grave
on French soil he fights in Prusslan |
uniform against his friends and SYM
pathizers.
On the Russian. Austrian and Prus- /
~ % of
his fathers where for centuries they 1
protected European civilization from
the invasion of the MSslem, where /
kosciusZko and his gallant band bat /
tied TO foes tenfold stronger; on the I
same battlehelds where John SObieskl 4
delivered austria from the vengeance (
of the Turk. But this is a different +,
fight. IL is not the MOslem or the I
Mongol that strikes at his breast, it is /
his brother, clad in his enemys uni I
form.
II seems a nightmare. conjured by 4
an evil spirit. Surely not by the God /
of the kaiser. for he grants him vic \
tories. Not by the God Of the en- I
perOr for he conEratulates the kaiser !
upon his alliance with God. the enemy (
OF his enemies. Not by the God OF the (
little father for ne calls his millions /
to the defense Of holy Russia
This is no nightmare. There is no /
God of Poland Her boys have gene I
to the front. one million strong. They I
are moved down on the firing line by /
the hand Of other Polish boys in other 1
uniforms They die unmourned and !
unhonOrcd. in defense of their enc /
mics. the despoilers of their homes. /
the butchers of their babes and their 4
women. they die for the glory of the /
house OF HohenzOllern, the preserva-
tion of the house of Habsburg the I
perpetuation of the autocracy of the /
Bomanoffs.
Such is the Will OF God. They can /
not turn, they may not throw down /
their arms. They send deadly mis- /
siles at "A distant foe. with anguish i'm /
their hearts lest il strike a brothers /
breast They cannot all die: some /
shalt live To bear the stamp of fratri- I
eide and the scorn of their comrades I
in arms.
Many thousands are and shall be 4
wounded. IL Is for these that the ap-
peal comes from across the sea. From
the land where the bloOdiest battles |
are and will be fought. from the land I
that has no part in the quarrel but 4
which contributes it's plains and val /
leys for devastation and its sons for f.
slaughter \ land already despOiled /
FER century and half robbed of its
heritage. without happiness, without
hope. buried in sorrow and shame.
poor. destitute and deSOlate. An .
American Polish hospital for these
boys has been organized. A call comes
TO America for aid. Let the generous
hearted Americans. many of whom
have been enriched by faithful work
men, brothers OF the boys on the firing
line. reflect whether they are worthy
OF aid? If SO. let them be generous.
JOHN r. SAULSKI
This appeal 10 the generosity of the
American public is especially directed
10 those who have business relations
with Polish people 20 EMPLOYERS of
labor having in their employ men
from Poland who now live among us.
and without doubt. contribute 10 the
development OF our country bv honest
and faithful toll
While il is not intended to magnify
the distress in Poland, and make il
appear that the destruction OF life and
prOpertr there is greater or suffering
more Intense than In Belgium. France
or Eastern Prussia. IL Is, nevertheless /
true, that the situation or the Poles is
most pathetic. owing 10 their political /
division among three Of the principal
contesting nations. The enclosed
statement issued by John f. Smulski /
Is intended 10 show the mental and
moral distress. as we'll as the physical I
suffering in that most unhappy cOun-
try. The lighting between Russian,
Austrian and Prussian forces. takes
place on Polish territory. The con-
testants are men or the same blood. I
with the same interest and ideals but
cOerced into a fratricidal contest 10y
ago, too from them their liberty and
government and divided their
country into three parts.
OF necessity, this territory Is now.
and VIII continue 20 be. the battle
ground for the German, Austrian and J