The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

n gay life of the b~oulevards that, so
1t likes to think. almost rivals Paris.
nut over 1t has lain for n hundred
years the shadow 81 the Russian
eagles wlrgs, and in its heart is the
rancor OF a pride that has for three
generations had It's every manifesto
tion crushed.
OF all the peoples concerned in the
German advance on Warsaw IL is
.proDabls tina, the Narsovians them
selvea take the situation with the
most equanimity. They had been
waiting for a hundred years for some-
thing to happen. The rest of tho
world has accepted the fate Of Poland
as history. tragic To he sure, but fin
ished. Warslw has never accepted it.
She has waited. And now ut last
something is happening.
That that something is war at its
worst means nothing to Warsaw, the
War aw that still thinks of itself as
the capital OF n nation. though that
nation 20 longer exists. Warsaw has
no fear of the horrible facts of war.
She Is used {, them. Horrible facts
make up most of her traditions. She
has watched the c,osing of the Ger
ma jaws unshrink!ngly.
When Russia tlrncd Warsaw into
q great fortress. one Of the greatest
In thu empire. the city of the Polish
heart watched the proceeding with
suspicion. From the beginning of the
fertilization of the city, when the
great citadel of Alexander was built.
the piles have believed hat Russia
was less concerned In protecting
Warsaw than She wa In protecting
herself against Warsaw.
Certainly Russia has had more than
q single purpose in view in the mighty
works that she has built. The citadel
Of Alexander in the suburbs on the
Nistula was built in 1929 as n pun
ishmcnt for the instruction of 1881.
Although it has been ~rcmodelled from
time to time. its usefulness under mod
ern conditions is inconsiderable. for its
six forts are all too near Warsaw
10 give the city any protection. Its
only usefulness might he in affordinE
o last protection to the railroad bridge
which here crosses the Nistula di-
rectly under its guns.
But this citadel was the beginning
Of the WORKS which have made War
r"w and the nearby stronghold of
Novo-GcorEicvsky two of the four
first class Notifications of the nation.
Beyond the summer resort of Novo-
alexandra and the chateau Is another
mighty fortress at 1vangorod. Nearly
q score of forts have been built to pro-
toct the city from capture. or. as the
PClcs believe. to protect Russia from
revelation.
Warsaw is n reflection Of the spirit
CT the Polish people. 1t is brilliant
ar melancholy. and It's life is a life
@: sunshine and shadow. Its streets
are a-rush with industry and pleasure.
1t is more like western Europe than
any other city Of Russia. Indeed the
traveller coming from tho East here
iiIs; encounters Europe, but the I'M
preston that 1t makes on the thought
full person Is on the whole mournful.
Too many memories of horrors are
astir ana too many evidences of mis-
cry II oppression are about to make
IT'S gayety seem very spontaneous.
In tn, last century Warsaw was sec
n only to Paris in brilliancy. Now
it is merely n Russian provincial city.
Then, owing TO the we'll known fond
ness of the Polish mobiles for display.
II had n character of prodigal gran
deur. the decay of which is dlsmally
evident at every turn.
Other cities as important as War
saw have been the object of the C; r
and pride both of their rulers and of
heir people. But the rulers of WI
saw have had no pride in her, and
her people have not been permitted
pride, Since h revolution of 1868
nothing at all has been undertaken
for the cleanliness or we'll being OF the
town.
The paving stones have fallen away
from each other in ridges II holes,
and with the exception of the town
hall not "A single public building has
been erected in all that time. The
whole of the civil and military admin
istration Is carried on in coniiscated
private and public buildings. Moth
irg is repaired, nothing is cleaned.
ThOrwaidsen's statue of Copernicus.
which is SO popular that the common
people call a tatue a Copernicus. j.
covered with dirt and the pedestal is
crumbling, but no one repai.S il. The
only public memorials in good condi-
ton are the colossal to
Paskiewicz. who finally subducd the
city after the instruction of 1881, and
q great iron obelisk embellished with
huge metal lions and heraldic eagles
which commentaries the names OF
the Poles who informed against their
fellow countrymen.
Warsaw's history. full of battle and
bloodshed, of capture and recapture,
Is so dismal that 1t must OF necessity
have a reflection in the spirit Of the
people. Like most great European
cities. the precise date Of its founding
is not known. The Duke of Mazovia
built n castle on the present site on
the Vistula as early as the ninth cen
fury, but the city ~ not mentioned
In annals until 1924.
In 1926 the dynasty Of the Dukes
Of Mazovia was extingutshed and
Warsay was annexed to Poland,
Later, when Poland and Lithuanda
were united IL became the capital.
From the seventeenth century onward
it possession was disputed by the
Swcdes, the Russians, the Branden-
burgs n the Austrians, each of
whom too and retook and lost il
again.
When it had its freedom, from time
% time, II was torn by civil strife.
War|aw VAS the pawn in frequent
moves by Napoleon and Prussia, and
- "a. ~ I.l