The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-19
ENORMOUS EFFECTS
 0F GERMAN DRIVE Await cyT0ward Poland
 With Keenest Interest TWO COURSES OPEN
May Reconcile the Pole and Bring Three Branches Together or Use District for Colonization and
 Extinguish Polish Spirit

Extinguish Polish Spirit
 London, August 2o.-(Correspondence of
 The Associataed Press)-The German
 sweep through Russian Poland, which
 at first centered attention on the bril-
 liancy of the military movement, is now
 being viewed for the tremendous effects
 it has brought about. territorial. economic
 and political, in that locality. Polish
 quarters here have summed up some or
 these changes, drawing their data large
 ly from the writings of R. Dmowski for
 many years the Warsaw member of the
 Russian dumal and the spokesman there
 for the Polish element. While member of the, Duma Mir Dmowsd has been a severe critic of the Russian regime, so that his view of conditions has the ap- parent merit of being independent while at the same time it comes from one in- tlmately familiar with the country which the Germans have now overrun. Some of the more striking changes resulting from the German occupation are these: The branches of Poland now united under German authority-German Poland, Austrian Poland and Russian Poland have population that gives Poland the sixth place in point of rank among the powers of Europe. It comes next to Italy and exceeds in numbers all the Balkan states put together-Bulgaria, Sorvia, Greece and Roumania; exceeds also all the Scandinavian and Dutch countries united-Norway, Sweden, Den- mark and Holland. and exceeds two of the next largest countries Spain and Portugal, together. This does not refer to the area of recent military operations, but to the whole range of so-called Po- land as 1t has been divided up to this time among Russia, Germany and Aus tria. Is Densely Populated Some of the British observers compare the area of German occupation with that of the allies in South Africa and the Pacific islands. But the latter are tropi- cal wastes recently taken over for colo nizaton, whereas MT. Dmowski shows that Poland Is one of the most densely inhabited sections of Europe, averaging 35 persons to the square kflometer, or more than the thiclxly populated districts of France. It is also one of the richest sections of Russia, with extensive bank ing, industrial and commercial organiza- tions, coal mines and agriculture. largely O T Even the policy of Russanizing the Po fish districts, which have been carried on for some years, has not changed the ' character of the native people, which remains strongly Polish.
 The three parts of this extensive Polish region now brought together are: Prus- sian Poland, including the four provinces of Posen. West Prussia, East Prussia and Upper Silesia, with a population of 7,5OO0 of which $500 are Poles; Austrian Poland, comprising Galicia and Lower 6ilesia. with s.4oO0o0 population, of which about half are Poles; Russian Poland, in- cuding the province of Poland with H. 6O0o 600 population, chiefly Poles, and what are known as the annexed prov inces of Kovno, Wilma, Grodno, Minsk, Mohilew and Vitebsk, having conglom- crate population of little and and white Russians, Poles, Lithuanians and Ruth anians. These are the three great Polish ranches which are now wholly or largely under German control. . The regime which the Germans will set in Russian Poland is being awaited with the keenest interest by the Polish ele- ments, as 1t will determine whether the policy will be to reconcile the Poles and bring the three branches together again, or to use this rich region for German colonization, gradually Germanizing 1t and extingushing the separate Polish spirit. l < This latter has been the policy of Rus II lA. X years of effort indicates the difficulties ahead for the German regime, which ever course it adopts. Poland's Position Under Russia MT. Dmowski sums up Poland's posi- l 1 ton under Russia as that of a military l occupation, with all the administration
 at Warsaw and elsewhere carried on by l Russian officials. the schools and uni l
 versailles, conducted by Russian teachers and teaching the Russian language, the police entirely Russian, and the whole 1 direction of affairs in Russian hands. 1 And yet, he adds, after 40 years or Rus sian effort Poland still remains distinctly | Polish, with the great business institu- l tions, commerce and agriculture carried OH by Poles Tt is exactly for this reason" he says, "that Poland is in one of the |
 strangest positions that can be imagined the state which possesses 1t does not ! know what 10 do with it; 1t has not found the means of transforming 1t into l q Russian country, and 1t does not wish . to permit 1t to become a Polish coun- 1
 try"
 This Is the problem which the new Ger
 mnn regime will have to deal with, and | which the Russians have not been able to l solve. As showing how Poland has suc- l ceeded in resisting Russianzation, MT. | Dmowski cites the curious fact that While l Russian officials controlled the election nlacn1Defy, fOllS0 votes Stnt SOilu oiiSu Delegations to the Duma. At one time | . In the second Duma, they had 46 votes l . and held almost a balance of power in pa ssing the budget. Tn order to put a | . stop to such Polish authority, the num- 1 Ter of delegates from Poland was cut to 12 portion of them being elected to represent the government of Wilma elects five delegates for the whole population ! and two for tine Russian population, so 1 that in the Duma there are two sets of Polish delegates, one representing the
 whole people of Poland. with Mir. . Dmowski for some years at the head of
 this delegation, and another set elected
 from the same places to represent the
 Russians, F ,,ssa 7;
 These are the peculiar internal condi- !
 tons which are now coming under Ger |
 man authority. at least during the nlili-
 tarv occupation. during which it is ex-
 pccted that German civil regime will be l set up in place of the Russian administra- 1 < ton. And in view of Russias experience |
 interest is centering whether Ger many will follow a similar course of
 Ccrmanizing the Polish territory, or will ]
 seek to reconcile the Poles by bringing
 their three branches together under some
 form of autonomous government.
 
 , Anxious About British Prisoners
 s-I l.