New-York tribune., 1916-07-20
ViCe-ChancellOr HelfferiCh
Says They Rejuvenated
Devastated Land.
ADMITTED JEWS
TO GOVERNMENT
Taught Sanitation and Provided
for Crops After the Blight
of War.

Berlin. July 10 BY wireless to Say
ville). Warm commendation of the
work done b. the Germans in Russian
Poland during the period of occupa-
tion comes from DR.. Karl HelfFerich,
Secretary Of the Interior and Imperial
Chancellor who returned to-day
from visit TO that country.
Or. Helferich contrasted the condi-
tion Of the country under Russian rule
with the state Of affairs there to-day,
Before the outbreak Of the present war,
the Russians had neglected the country,
said DR.. Helferich. Then came the
period of hostilties TO devastate the
land. Under these conditions the Ger
mans took up their work with a sue
cess. the Chancellor insisted,
which could find few parallels in
history:
Built Up Ruin.
The retreating Russians, DR.. Helf-
erich said, had burned villages and
towns and destroyed the harvests. The
Germans first built roads through the
devastated territory and supplied
cattle and seeds to the inhabitants.
Now one frequently sees herds of a
hundred or more cattle, while fields OF
standing grains are on all sides. once,
he said. farmers were given the horses
of two regiments for field work on
orders Of General Ludendorff.
Dr.. Helferich said he found schools
everywhere now, even at places where
none was maintained when the Rus
SANS ruled the country. The Unlver-
sity Of Warsaw, where there is lect'
ure course I'm the Polish tongue, has a
large number OF students.
All Races Equal.
All nationalities, DR.. Helfferich said
we're given equal recognition with the
white Russians and Lithuanians. Ter
rible suffering existed among the Jews
when the Germans arrived. the Vice
Chancellor declared. and in most towns
they had been excluded from the
schools. The Germans, he added, intro
dured self government in the country
for the first time and admitted jewish
representatives to the governmental
bodies.
DIR. Helferich cited what he char
acterized as absolute neglect Of hygiene
HR tine sIutcldllcs III A@bhAf AN nf-AN
there were virtually no sanitary con
yeniences, no sewerage system and no
waterworks, although the city has 5OO,'
600 inhabitants. The Germans, on the
other hand, gave the population in
sIuctions regarding the value of sani'
tary measures. and. with the assistance
of the clergy, established isolation bar
racks for contagious diseases, espe
cially spotted typhoid, now decreasing
Physicians Worked Well.
German physicians who died as re-
suit of these epidemics had not los'
their lives i'm vain, Or. Helfferich de
clared Cholera has been completely
stamped out
The Germans also instituted self
governing counties and towns; opened
town councils and encouraged the pub
hcation of a large number Of news
papers in the Polish language. A short
time before the Russians had sup
pressed the last remaining newspaper
in the language.
"Thus | found everywhere in the
distressed country" concluded DR.
Helferich, "the fruits of German en-
ergy and administration. | am glad "a
say that Germans did work equal TO the
successes Of their army by establish
ing order. safety and peace behind th'
front and by allevating the miseries o.
war for the population"