The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-23
CONTEMPT FOR POLES

"All the contempt for the Poles which those chiefs have brought with them rom Prussia, their instinctive hostility to all Polish national ambitions has been com municated in the highest degree to their assistants, l. e., the entire crowd of off, cials, clerks, N. c. O.'s, police and rail- way officials, etc. The Polish population looks with amazement at these officials who seem to be specially picked out in order to frighten the Poles once for all at the idea of any community of life with the Germans. They excel towards the Poles in petty acts of spite which some times are very ingenious in their brutal ity, ill-will and vulgarity. If attention is drawn to the fact that such behavior does not correspond with the supposed culture of the German officials, one is answered.: Yes, but here we are not in the Fatherland. CThis saying is authen- tic). Culture has, on purpose, been left behind in the Fatherland. In relation to the Polish barbarisrn it is considered an unnecessary burden. There was a time when the German commander said to the Poles: Let eastern barbarism give way to the western civilization which is con- mon to us and you. But that was said in August, 1914, and very soon the Ger man bureaucracy seemed to forget it. The 11ultur' of the German bureaucracy shows itself mainly in the brutal treat ment of the public. Women of the upper classes are sometimes taken by the scruff of the neck, people are called by all kinds of names as for instance 'Polnische schweine.' (Polish swines). they are hit in the face with riding whips (this was ac- tually done by the commander of the town of Sosnovitse, Major Schultz). It now Is normal thing for German bu- reaucrats and constables to whip, not only people from the lower, but even of the educated classes.
 AVOID ALL CONTACT
 Ut is hard moment for a Pole in Russian Poland when he has to approach German government authorities. The population is trying to avoid any contact with the authorities out of fear of being treated brutally and having to listen to insolent and vulgar insults. How could the Poles be expected to entertain any social relations with such a choice collec- tion of German bureaucrats?
 Naturally the Germans complain that people show little respect to their off, cials and officers; frequent orders are issued ordering the public to show all kinds of marks of respect (thus, for instance, at Vlotslavek, Plotsk, Lodz) :; sometimes the public is punished for not doing it. So it was at Plotsk at the be- ginning of July, when the German au- thorities prohibited all men from walking on the sidewalks as punishment because they did not get out of the way of the German guests quickly enough; only women were allowed to use the sidewalks When, however, as a matter of demon stration, the women of Plotsk walked to- gether with the men in the middle of he street, leaving the sidewalks to Germans and to women of doubtful repu.a+i~- the order was withdrawn.
 ''In 1914 the spoliation of Poland was begun; it was done in a hurry. But in 1915 the work was accomplished in most orderly, systematic manner. Stock was taken of available foodstuffs. monopolies were introduced for trading in them, very considerable amounts were carried away to Germany, where, in the words of the German deputy minister of war, General Won Wandel, in the Reichstag January 15, 1916, they have made it easier for us to feed our people, Meantime in Poland the German Import company was made between the people and it's bread. The in no relation to those which it pays to the producer. The German Import company. which neither sows nor reaps, gathers in enormous profits. Thus, it buys rye in Poland at 71a roNbles for cwt.-the price is fixed by law-but charges at Lodz, where no one is allowed to compete with it and where the misery is greater than in any other part of the country, 23 roubles for bag of war flour No wonder then that it is able to pay 140 per cent profit to its share holders. besides handing over regular