Evening star., 1917-09-30
Free Poland PROMISES to Be am industrial Poland
BY CHARLES n. PEPPER.

E1HE Polish republic is yet to be.
This is the Interpretation to be
put upon the news from Berlin
q and Vienna and Petrograd.
Revolutionary Russia is too busy with
its own internal troubles to worry
about the future of Poland. So long as
the Polish territory is occupied by the
Teutonic armies 1t would be waste of
time to worry. Poland is not like Fin
land. which has announced its inten-
tion of becoming an entirely independent
state, regardless of Russia, for Finland
is not occupied by enemy troops and is
to some degree the master OF it's own
destiny. 1t has embarrassed the Pet
rograd government by it's course, but
new Russia might lose the Finnish ter
ritory and still not feel it. 1t would be
like losing finger. whereas the loss of
Poland would be the loss of an arm.
Polish aspiration is not likely ever to
be satisfied with anything short of in
dependence. Even a liberal Russian re-
public with decentralized government
for Poland and large measure of
home rule would not satisfy the Poles
This has been made plain by the lead
ers of the race, but the relation to Rus
sta does not become a vital question SO
long as Russia does not occupy and ad-
minister the territory.
Poland. as regards Germany and Aus
trfa. Is in different situation, but
even under Teutonic military coercion
the Poles have made it plain that they
will not be satisfied with anything less
than independence The proclamation
OF the Teutonic military authorities
last November creating the new state
of Poland. with its high-sounding
phrases. has not kept the Poles from
starving.
Recent reports have been that the
as In any part of war-ridden territory.
German military administration has
looked to the care of its own troops
at the expense of the native Polish in
habitants. The sham administrative
liberty given last November was not
supported by liberty to raise food for
themselves The German and Aus
trian troops must first be supplied both
from the domestic cultivation and from
such foods as could be imported. I'm
der the war conditions. with a large
section of the population driven from
their homes and with no means of
they felt safe in remaining. it could
not be expected that Poland would
raise enough food for the civilian pop
ulation who remained within its bor-
ders.
That the civilian population is rela-
lively small Is due to the refusal of
the Poles to take military service un-
der Germany. Even before the over
turn of the czar. with all their cause
for resentment against autocratic Rus
sia, they would not be enrolled among
Russias foes With the coming Of the
chaotic republic there has been less
disposition. II that were possible, to let
themselves be made the instrument of
the enemies of Russia, though they
have no cause to feel kindly to Russia
News from Berlin and Amsterdam in
dicates clearly the failure OF the Teu-
tonic plans for the creation Of a buffer
state, which would be German vas
sal This Is another tribute to the
strength of the Polish national aspira-
tions. The majority Of the Poles do
not conceive of a real Poland which is
limited to Polish territory heretofore
under Russian rule. Their dream is
OF the old kingdom which included
Posen and that part OF Prussia and
Galicia IN Austria
This 10 the Poland that once existed
Part OF 1t also is tho Poland which
Prussia sought to disintegrate so that
there should not remain even a vestige
of the Polish nationality, for it was
Prussia which sought to destroy the
language and to dispossess the Poles
of their lands and scatter them over
the empire.
The failure of this scheme Is one of
the many evidences which central Eu-
rope affords of the refusal of a ma
tionality to be exterminated. 1t is
also an ever-present reminder of the
real meaning of Prussian rule and of
tho purpose of Prussian policy. It is
not on record that the Piles in Prussia
have been persuaded or coerced Into
urging fhsir brethren IN 4ussia to sup