The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-23
Poles HESITATE
10 RAISE FORCE
TO AID GERMANS
Only Few Troops. Most of
Them Students, Are
Ready to Serve.

~
(From a staff correspondent Of the
Associated Press-Th appeal To the
Poles In the newly proclaimed king
dom to enlist in the Polish army and
Mgnr under Austro- German banners
for the new. state has fallen on deaf
ears, according to. recent information
brought from Warsaw by neutral and
German visitors.
Only few troops, most OF them
students of Warsaw university, who
thusiasm following the proclamation
of the kingdom, are said to have come
forward. The two Polish army corps,
of which the German advocates Of
the establishment Of the new Poland
spoke as the probable contribution
from the kingdom to the armies Of
the Central powers. are declared to
show no sign of ever coming into
existence.
The Polish workmen and peasants,
it appears from the, accounts of de-
velppmenrs in Poland that have
reached here, show a decided disin-
clination to take up arms, and the
labor shortage IN Germany has been
made good in no small degree, it is
asserted, by an exodus to Germany of
Poles who feared being impressed into
the new army and who decided to
seek safe employment in the German
munition factories or on farms rather
than face the risk of being drafted as
soldiers. Nor are large elements Of
the. Polish population displaying any
keen enthusiasm. returning travellers
say for the civil organization Of the
new kingdom. The fear Of the ,conse-
quences in case Russian rule should
by any possibility be re7estahlished
exercises a lively deterrent influence
on many Poles and there is asserted
to be widespread determination, even
among the leaders who would proba-
bly, welcome the permanent establish
me1lt of new kingdom under Aus
tro-German auspices, to wait and see
the result of the war before they com
init themselves to the new order.
The Polish council of state came
into existence only after long nego-
tiations between the various parties
ana the attempt to bring the repre-
sentatives of all these parties into the
council had finally to be abandoned.
Men like Prince II Lubomirsky, who
headed the provisional civil govern
ment Of Warsaw after the Russians
were expelled, are quoted as saying
frankly that according to- the law Of
nations they are still Russian subjects
and cannot participate in a govern
ment under the new order until they
are formally absolved from their
jobIigations under the peace settle
ments. III
Sentiment in Germany on the adj
visibility of proclaining the Polish,
Kingdom was divided from the start,
and the reported lack of enthusiasm
among the Poles over Incorporation by
their arms and with their counsels in
the estab lishment OF q national entity
under Austro- German oversight seems
to have weaned oyerlto the opposition
many Germans who first favored the
new Kingdom. Some speculation is In
dulged in, therefore, as to whether
thss indicated developments may not
affect Germany s. ultimates policy to-
ward Poland in the peace negotia-
tons In some German quarters, in
deed, the question is asked: Why
should Germany make sacrifices to
establish the kingdom il the Poles are
not willing to fight for ~. !" s8,a