The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-04-24

walked through the streets and talked
to the people / met workingmen who
were begging. They said food was SO
expensive that the poor could not buy
It. They said meat was selling at $3.50
pound and eggs 10 cents apiece.
One man told me he had had no meat
for two months. Before the Russians
evacuated Warsaw they removed the
machinery or destroyed the interior of
every factory, so that thousands of
men were out of employment. Streets
were crowded with men selling post.
cards and stamps. That was the only
thing they could do.
In order to attempt to solve the food
problem for the poor, who were starv.
Ing. as even the investigations of the
Rockefeller Foundation proved. the
German military authorities opened
soup kitchens throughout the city. At
that time over 100000 people were de.
pendent every day upon this food.
Later, when went through other
sections of Poland. especially in the
small cities. l saw the most terrible
suffering People were living in holes
in the ground under the destroyed
ruins Of their homes. In some villages
where a few houses were still standing
every inhabitant claimed house. The
German authorities had the greatest
difficulty In preventing trouble. be-
cause sometimes as many as ten fam
lilies would claim the same houses and
all its furnishings as their own.
Life Sentences for Students.
Before the kingdom of Poland was
announced to the world. there were a
great many internal troubles. especial.
ly in the large cities. German author
tiles at first could not prevent the rev.
olutionary propaganda which the stu
dents started. From time to time stu
dents were arrested and sentenced to
military prison for life. On Christmas
Day of 1915 twelve students Of the Uni.
versity of Warsaw were arrested and
imprisoned. From time to time others
were similarly dealt with by, the Ger
man military authorities. Although
Germany had entered Poland and
posed as a nberator, the German auth
critics were adopting the same meas
ures in conQuering Poland that the
Russian imperial government under
the Gar had used.
In Poland however, there had always
been a pro-Polish party and pro-
Russian party The former expressed
the desires and hopes Of the Polish
people, but was always prosecuted by
the Car. The latter was composed al
most altogether of Russian officials,
who were known to be loyal to the i'm
perial government
After the German occupation there
soon developed a pro-German and
pro-Polish party group. Those who
sided with the Germans were mostly
members of Polish royal and noble
families Of princes and counts. who
were in disfavor with the Russian gov
eminent and who were anxious to OBJ
tain control of Poland. The German
military authorities Immediately open
ed negotiations with these Prussian-
lied Poles. Although the administra.
tive officials were Germans, the advice
and assistance of these mobiles was &C.
cepted.
So when the Kingdom Of Poland was
established, under the temporary rule
of Governor General Won Bessler, these
pro-German Polish mobiles were given
positions in the new government. The
Kaiser desired, if he could, TO establish
a Prussian Kingdom of Poland. Ger
many realized. however, that Poland
could not be made kingdom success