Evening star., 1915-12-05
THE INDEPENDENCE OF POLAND.

reorganization more or less perfect"
Moreover, the government at Petro-
grad blindly, even stupidity. committed
an unexpected injustice In proceeding TO
what was considered by many Poles
and sympathetic Russians as a new
partition of Poland. The government
refused to extend the benefit OF the
municipal charter TO the cities OF the
government of Chelm and Suwalki.
which Russia manifestly proposed to de-
tach from the Kingdom of Poland in
stitufed In 1915 by the congress OF
Vienna.
The municipal reform now appeared
insufficient and the government at
Petrograd decided finally to carry out
the. treaty subscribed by the grand
duke generalissimo and elaborated a
project of reforms.
The project is not yet PROMULGATED
but semi -official indiscretions having
been committed. one is assured already
that Poland and Russia. despite the
camarilla, have come to an understand
ing as to the measure of Poland's inde-
pendence.
The understanding is only partial
and far from satisfactory, and the I'M
preston In the journals is bad This
disenchantment which rnanifests itself
| In moment when one expected great
cry of joy will create surprise beyond
the border. The imperial declarations
| or the past year were clear and cate
goric and all supposed that the grand
| historic act which government had
prepared in the name of the sovereign
would be inspired by sincere good will
| the projected plan establishes first
| OF all that certain institutions and GER
| tain branches of the administration
VIII remain centralized for the best
! good of the united nations. The iegis-
lative, army. fleet. monetary system.
| financial institutions. fiscals and Gus
| TOMS telegraphs, telephones, RAILWAYS
roads In general, and finally the mag
istracy-a liberal autonomy is accorded
| In these and other things
Poland after the projected plan is to
have at the head a lieutenant OF the
kingdom in place of the present gov
ernor general. II does not saw that
tnis lieutenant may not be a general. A
Mouraview Tchertkow. who might
De sought at Samara or at Tobolsk
| Under this supreme representative
| there will sit a grand council comnosed
of members chosen by the
A Grand power" who will dest9-
ror,,;, nate those who are to be
functionaries. Others will
| be elected by the municipal and terri
torial councils. The latter must be ap-
proved by the lieutenant of the king
| dom.
The project foresees the creation Of
judges of the peace designated by cleo
tion. 1t authorizes the population to
speak in its proper language before
| the tribunals and in its relations with
government employees. The Polish lam
guage will be legal in accounting and
| in correspondence with autonomous
and private institutions. Elsewhere
! the Russian language will reign as In
the past. But the functionaries who
will administer the future independent
! I.
] derstand the Polish language
| In the domain of schools the reform
will permit the scholars of private
schools to present themselves before
commissions of examination. 1t will
| restore the Polish language in the
schools. Only the classes, in legisla-
| tion, geography and Russian history
must be taught in Russian. Govern
! ment reserves a certain number of the
/ special schools destined for the Rus
| sian population and proposes to create
| new ones.
! The project extends certain preroga-
| tives of Catholic priests. who in the
| future would have the right to teach
! The control of that instruction will be
given to bishops. The clergy will be
| free to build churches, chapels and ac-
quire property.
The Polish press in its structures on
this proposed reform does not see much
reform in it. Moreover. it charges that
there is deep gap-it fails to furnish a
fundamental guarantee. So long as
| Poles are not governed bv Poles. so
| long as their territory will continue
to be a colony for the use of over
| many functionarfes and employees OF
| the center of Russia, the Independence
| Of Poland will be a deceit. The Pole will
never consent to he governed except by
| a Pole. NJ. Goremykine will appre-
ciate the justice and force of this af
ffrmation.
| NJ Antonin Potocki adds his opinion
on the Polish question. with particular
| reference to the recent
The Germans German occupation Of
Rnlnnd sn,-irnc.