Evening star., 1915-11-26
Alleged German Methods of
Exploiting Country Blamed
for Situation.
FOOD RIOTS FREQUENT,
ACCORDING TO REPORT
Member of Polish Independence
Party Declares Large Stores Have
Been Seized for Teuton Use.

LONDON, November ga dark pic
ture of conditions in Russian Poland, and,
incidentally, an argument against the
necessity of providing food by charity,
has been published in the Times "a
leading member Of the so-called Polish
independence party" which remains in
close touch with the supreme Polish ma
tional committee of Austrian Poland, is
responsible for the statements.
The Times explains that the committee
created and is responsible for the Polish
legions fighting with the Austro- Hun
garian army against Russia, and says
that the author of the memorandum
therefore cannot be supposed to entertain
hostile bias, at least against Germany's s
Austrian ally.
Country Exploited, Claim.
"One of the main features of the Ger
man administration in Poland" says the
memorandum, lis the attempt to exploit
the occupied territory economically to
the utmost. Every new regulation aims
at getting as much as possible out of the
country, although the German authorities
try to disguise this tendency in different
ways
1T is explained by reasons of STRAIT
egy, of order, of policy, and even of
humanity. The German authorities are
especially anxious to give an appear
ance of humanitarianism to their poll
cy in Russian Poland"
The memorandum says that Berlins
relief activity was short-lived. In
March, 1915, Field Marshal Won Hin
denberg, it says. proclaimed his IA
nous reprisal for the destruction of
Memei Cast Prussia) by the Russians
under which the Polish districts were
to answer by contributions and other
burdens. The German press raised it's
voice against contributions for Russian
Poland.
Grain for German Army.
By an order of April 27, the memo
randum continues, all grain and pota-
toes, after one and one-half pools
(about f1fty-f1ve pounds) had been left
for each inhabitant until the harvest,
was to be delivered to Posen COM
pany mentioned in the order.
The order explained that the purpose
was to provide flour for districts where
there was shortage. The peasants
in the district of Kujavy, where there
was plenty of grain which they We're
keeping for an hour of need. were ex-
horted to give up grain for famine suf-
ferers in Dombrova. That district re-
ceived an absolutely insufficient supply,
but on July l an order for securing
the rest of the grain for the German
army was enforced.
This order" the memorandum says,
extended confiscation to the coming
harvest, without any pretense of phil
anthropy or humanitarianism."
Mine Machinery Destroyed.
Asserting that from the first the
Germans condemned the industries of
Russian Poland to perdition,' the mem
orandum gives lengthy details of al
legged destruction or confiscation of
property. 1t says that virtually all
the coal mining machinery in the dis
trict of Dombrova was destroyed in
the autumn of 1914 'for strategical
reasons" and that the population, de-
pendent on the mines, were made des-
perate thereby.
Other alleged incidents cited are the
withdrawal of the state bank, the alb
sorption of the country's fuel supply,
the requisitioning of many commodi-
ties and of quantities of factory ma
chinery necessary for the .country's in
dustries, which were taken to Germany