Evening star., 1918-02-10
|NEWPOL|SHA ARMY 4
IS BEING TRAINED
Thousands Strong, Soldiers
Hope to Be in Trenches for !,
the Spring Campaign.
MADE UP OF VETERANS
BY PAUL SCOTT MOwRER.

BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER. =
Cablegram to Tho Sunday Star an
Chicago Daily News. Copyright 1o16.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. Feb,
ruary .S.-The Polish army is now .
fact Its soldiers. thousands strong. are
busily training In a series OF big camp&
hoping to be ready for the trenches In
time for the spring campaign. ItS
amaranth flag with the silver eagf0 IN
the center droops splendidly above the
entrance to the new army's head.
quarters. Although 1t is under the
generous initiative of France that the
army is being organized, equipped and
supported. it will. in every sense Be q
national army. Tho volunteers coma
from every region OF ancient Poland
and from every part OF ehe world
For the work Of organization Franco
has lent one Of it's best leaders, eoue
line officers have been chosen from
among the Poles who already had Woa
distinction in the allied armies, and In
addition several series OF student OF.
is composed Of several elements: nrs2
of Poles who have been fighting einoo
the beginning Of the war in the Foreign
Legion and other French regimentss
sian divisions in France: third. Poliah
volunteers from Holland, England and
other allied and neutral countries and
the present enemy countries: fourth
and most important OF all, Of Polish
volunteers from America.
White Eagle for Distinction. =
Like the Frerich the troops are dresssa
in horizon blue. but have white eagleS
embroidered on their shoulder strape
and wear not the kepi, but q square
national bonnet or chapka- The sent1.
nels whom I saw mounting guard OUT
side Of headquarters belong to that aanio
1st Regiment Of Polish chausseurs which
won enduring fame in the DembroW ~
army and of whom Napoleon kept "A
In one Of the camps I saw several
hundred Poles recently arrived from
America. talked not only with them
but with the volunteers OF all other
categortes. Their ardor Is admirable
It was a moving spectacle to see thesa
Poles gathered from all corners OF Tho
earth, mingling together in the fellow
ship Of their common tongue and conas
mon patriotism. -,
They were men Of all ages aAA "A
classes. A lawyer OF hfty-six Y1aze
},uaaxcheA beside young Vnixsrgify pEne
dents. A Polish count was the -comka4e
| Of miners and artisans. From the 6f1e
the Polish legionaries distinguishsd
young Poles had made themselves -
conspicuous for bravery and intsln-
gence that they were promoted to IT,
lieutenant's rank. which fs high rec6E.
milton in an army SO efficient and ven
organized as the French. The NATIVE
songs Of the Poles in the trenches, the1f
rhythmic. mazurkas and lrakevisnnea.
more than once induced Poles from the
opposite trenches. Poles impressed ey
Germany, to desert
First Amaranth Flag.
Early in the war a group OF Polish,
legionaries in the trenches made them
selves a small amaranth flag. wheroonl
they embroidered as best they could tho
white eagle. 1t was an unimp0Gtn1
banner, yet one which win doubtless b
dear to the memory of Poles for years
to come. On December l. 1914. the
French army orders contained the fol.
lowing:
"Ladislas Szuysky. a legionary ana
Polish patriot, died gloriously in the
act Of planting before the German lines
the flag of resuscitated Poland"
This flag, riddled with forty-eight bul.'
lets. was recovered by the Polish legion-
aries. and, recently, on the ono hunp
dredth anniversary of Kosciuszko's death.
was formally presented by the general to
the 1st Company Of the LIST Polish RegfS
ment in an imposing ceremony.