davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
They Hurried as
Fast as They Could

"Ah.' they sighed as they reached
the last station. ''s'su
How they hurried, as fast as tbo;,
years permitted, toward their horne n
runs! How eager they were IN ca.
the garden! What longing they had
tor their precious chestnut treei n
lean against it-against that michty
offspring of the little chestnut of wear,
ago. that plaything, shining and pol.
llshed., which. before t. ming into ~, !.
tree, had been gripped in the warm
palm OF the hand of their three-and.s.
ali-yearold boy,
1hey saw it, RACED level with the
earth ITS trunk lying across the rem.
nants OF the wall, which had bees
broken into pieces by its fall. For
long time already the dead branches
scattered about, had been rotting away
ana IN the presence of that useless ana
b,esottcd crime, the terrible sobs 81
these two old people, who would no.
nave wept at seeing their house de.
nlo!lshed, We're those of all the parents
TO whom, since the war began has
come the announcement Of the greats.
OF an mlstortunes. For in the assss
Siha'loh OF that tree their little PEN
dled second time; or. rather in MI
of the death long ago of the lits
boy who could not grow W, he i.
been slain by the GermansEhe.s h.
ike soldier of the great war, i;isM
the others.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17

Government deferred doing so until it
was too late. The Provisional Gov
eminent made promises of Polish indie
pendencc, but would not take the de-
cisivc step of sanctionins tho lorna
ton OF Polish army under the Polish
flag. AS for Germany and Austria,
they were quite ready to have the
Poles form a "national' army. pro-
vidcd it was quite subject to Teutonic
command and was drawn exclusively
from Russian Poland. That, however
fcll far short of satisfying the Poles,
who were and are as much intent upon
regaining for an independent Poland
the territories stolen by Prussia and
Austria as those assigned in the par
titlon to Russia. Now. therefore. all
Poles understand that the realization
Of their national aspirations depends
entirely upon the success of the Al
lies and the overthrow of Prussian
despotism in the Central Empires.
Naturally, they have looked much to
America since the entry of this coun-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
Big Army Training
In United States

Nothing could be more admirable
than the spirit Of these Polish volun-
teers. They include boys not vet out
of their teens and men of fifty years
or more, all being accepted who are
physically fit. 1t is not desired, how
ever. to receive any men who have de-
pendent families who would be LETT
destitute Many man has on enlist
ing handed over to the recruiting off
GER all his savings, "for Poland" and
mas expressed joy at relinquishing a
job paying several dollars a day to
serve in tho army at so many cents a
day, "for Poland" Naturally, men
thus animated make rapid progress in
military training, SO that it is not
surprising. to hear veteran French of.
ficers praise these troops of only a
few weeks training.
Paderewskl has given himself to the
promotion of this cause with an Ell
ergy which has fully taxed even his
powerful frame, and has once or twice
already compelled him to desist from
his labors for rest. In spirit he never
wearies of urging his compatriots to
enlist and thus to help. to fulfil the
aspirations Of the Polish nation. "Rus-
STA, Austria and Germany" he says,
have all been brutal to Poland. They
have all tried to crush our spirit Of
,AeSuoA'. 4ro" Is our cnance TO VIII
back free and independent Poland"
Very early in the war Mr.. Padercw-
ski organized d Polish Relief Commit
tee, of which his personal secretary,
Mr.. w. Q. Gorski, has all along been
the secretary and executive director. A
native Pole, with the characteristics Of
that nation, MIR. Gorski is now an
American citizen, and has thus been of
great service in the promotion Of the
Polish cause.
In addition to Paderewski's work. 9
special Polish Military Committee has
been formed, and is working most eff
ficiently for the recruiting and equip
ment of the Polish army in France
and for all other details Of the work.
It's members are Messrs. T. NJ. Helm
ski, DR.. T. A. Starzynski and Alexan-
der Znamierli.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17

e1'al Archinard was olaced in command
and headquarters were established in
Paris in the Rue Channleilles, in the old
Puysegur mansion. There recruiting for
the Polish army proceeded, all enlistment
being for the full term of the war and
the certificate of enlistment being writ
ten in both French and Polish. Re
cruits were promptly sent to Sille-le-
Guillaume, in the Department of the
Sarthe, where was established n great
camp Of instruction OF the Polish army.
The official organization Of this
Polish army is, naturally, Identical
with that of the French. The officers
are at first taken from among those OF
the Allied armies. for the sake Of ex-
pcrience, with the intention, however,
that as soon as practicable all should
be taken from among tho Poles them
selves. The uniform of the soldiers
is the same as that OF the French, with
the exception that the Polish eagle
replaces the French emblem on the
"konfadratka" (four- cornered Polish
cap). Thus q striking contrast is pre-
scented to the Polish uniforms of for
mer years, which were perhaps the
most snowy and splendid in the world.
Wisdom mght we'll have suggested
the formation of another such Polish
army in Russia, but the Provisional
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
the French army which was then being

the French army which was then being
modified.
The response was electric. Upon the
very first appeal made by DR.. Jean
Danysz, of the Pasteur Institute, and Of
the "Polonia Review" and the Sokol
Society, more than two thousand vol
unteers FASTENED forward Most of them
were from France, but many were from
the United States, and some were from
Brazil, from Argentina. from Costa
RIGA and elsewhere. They comprised
men who were nominally Germans.
Austrians and Russians, according to
the parts of dismembered Poland to
which they belonged, but all were Poles
above all else. and next were devoted
friends of France. There could be, of
course, no question of an autonomous
Polish army, in view Of the relation
ship which at the beginning Of the war
existed between France and Russia,
wherefore they focked to tho famous
Foreign Legion.
Only two exclusively Polish com
panies were formed, one of these being
at Rueil and the other at the Camp-
des- Cherubins, near Bayonne. The
other Poles were scattered through the
various battalions Of the Foreign Lee
gion.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
Gave Their Blood
Early in Present War

Despite this dispersion Of their
forces the Poles succeeded in making
their presence in the French army felt
IN gratifying fashion. The company
from the camp near Bayonne, carrying
beside the tricolor a Polish flag which
women of Bayonne had made for them.
was soon engaged upon the battle line.
On November 20, 1914, that company
stormed a German trench and planted
thereon their flag, though a gallant
engineer, Ladislas Szuyski, who had
come from Cracow to fight, was killed.
He was not the first Polish MARTYR in
he cause. On November z there had
fallen in battle DR.. Jean Danysz, the
eldest son Of the savant of the Pasteur
institute. who had issued the first call
for Polish volunteers. The second and
third sons, Stephane and Bronislas
Danysz, were wounded and commended
IN orders of the day.
a Polish company under Commander
Nolret was detailed to lead an attack
upon the Germans north of Arras, on
May 8, 1915, They gained foothold
IN the fourth line, where they chung
desperately, though Commander Noiret,
Coionel Pain and most Of the other
officers and many of the men We're
slain. The survivors of this achieve
ment were the next day summoned by
the commanding general to step for
ward from the ranks; whereupon he
thanked them and then had the other
troops detile before them and salute.
One of the earliest Of the MANY
achievements of the Poles in this war
was that of a young artillery officer,
l.ewlcki by name, at Schirmek. in Oc-
tober, 1914. Gle was" saws one who
was an eyewitness of the affair IN
gunner. From the very be-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17

ginning of tho action he personally
aimed his rs field piece, and did
wonders with every shot. An explod-
ing shell badly wounded his left arm.
but did not stop him, and despite the
flowing blood he again addressed him
sian she'll wrecked his cannon and
crushed both his legs to pulp. Though
mortally wounded, he babe his COM
lades carry him to another part of the
field, where there was another cannon
which was shooting badly, so that he
could improve its shooting before he
died" In such fashion have honored
names been added to the immortal ros-
ter Of tho sons Of Poland who have
fought and died for France-Dombrow-
ski, Budzinski, Czaykowski, Galezow-
their compeers.
While thus the young men Of the
Polish race were distinguishing them
selves and serving the cause of HUI
n,anity on the battle front, their elders
and the women Of their race were no
less busy and efficient in other dircc-
tons. Time, labor and means were
freely given for the sid of the soldiers
III the field. On May 10, 1915, they
of the wounded Poles i'll the French
army. The president of this committee
was none other than Jean de Reszke
His son, it should be recorded, had been
among the first to enter tho military
service of France. Enlstng as a pri-
vate in the 18th Regiment of Cuiras-
siers, he was eight days later promoted
to be brigadier, having meanwhile re-
celved his first wound in the Battle
of the Marine.
There was also organized bureau
RI hn Dn1i al,
which was followed by = committee of
Polish volunteers, the efforts of which
We're directed toward securing for the
Poles an autonomous army organiza-
ton. The first importan, step in this
direction was secured in the decree of
the French government permitting
Poles to serve in any portion OF tho
French army, without being confined
to the Foreign Legion.
The final step came in the early sum-
mer of last year. In March the Rus
sian revolution deposed the Gar and
very materially charged the attitude
and relations of the Russian govern
ment toward the war and toward Po-
land, the Provisional Government be-
ing inclined to recognize fully the
rights of Poland as an Independent
state. These circumstances removed the
chief objection which had existed to
inc creation of an autonomous Polish
army in France, and the desirability of
such an organization was accordingly
urged. M. Painleve. the Minister for
War, was sympathetically inclined to-
ward the proposal, and he made re-
port to the President of the republic
recommending that the dosle of the
former be granted.
Accordingly, on June 5, 1917. Presi-
dent Poincare issued G. decree, of which
the first article ran as follows:
"There is created in France, for the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17

4 FTER they had lived for time
"A in the Notre Damc section
- A the whole neigborhood got tc
know the story of their misfortune.
They we're two old people, victims OF
the war, but attracting little more
sympathy than usual because Of 4 great
grief which they had borne for more
than thirty years.
This was that their only son, the fruit
of relatively late marriage a mar
rage OF love; retarded by the usual OBJ
staclcs) had not been able to pass that
difficult age-the first critical period in
l:fe-when childhood changes into
youth. The little fellow had died at
fourteen.
This had happened in the days Of
peacc-long, long ago. 1t had happened
III the North of France, in the little
village in which the two old people
we're born, and from which the wa1
drove them as refugees to Paris.
They told their story among the
tradcspeoplo, and in the lodge CT the
concierge. Up to the beginning of the
war the husband had enjoyed the dis
tinction of having been minor en-.
ploye in q very small government office,
subsequently going into retirement.
Since their exile he had earned for his
wife and himself, by copying and mis-
cellaneous clerical work, the means to
llvc-or rather to stavc off death; for
they were both close on to eighty.
at wouldn't have mattered to US to
dio back there, at home But to die
here, In Paris, which we had never seen
before, that must not be-because of
the chestnut tree, if for no other
reason"
Very dignified, whether smiling or
grave, they always took turns in ex-
plaining:
Little Pierre planted TIE tree, Mes
dames,' said the old woman LAT three
years and half, even, he had ideas like
that. You can see what he might have
made Of himself.'
Then the old man broke in:
I'VE had. given him, to play with.
some chestnuts which We had picked
up ON the road to Ham. SO, one morn
ing, when he was playing in the gar
DEM
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
He Would Be
F orty Years Now

he chestnut tree is almost thirty
seven years old, counting from the day
it was planted! SO little Pierre would
have been over forty to-day
Some one remarked:
He would be at the front"
Then the eyes of the two old people
became fixed. They had the same
thought
I've would probably have been
killed.
The death of person IN normal
times-a civilians death-resemble in
many respects a sombre fete So MANY
flowers, with their fragrance, are
heaped about the funeral couch: so
many draperics and emblems of mourn
ing surround the coffin; the ceremonial
of the mass is full of austere pomp:
so many friends press forward, their
eyes SHINING with sympathy, to console
tEose who are left behind. A death
under such circumstances remains an
I event IN the annals of family-mem-
ofable for It's display and its decor
ative details in the same degree as bap-
tlsms, first communions and marriages.
But IN time of war the soldiers
death, the violent death Of a man sud
denly stricken downtown shocking and
bleak a thing it isl How brutal a be-
reavement-without flowers, music or
ceremonial! Truly, to be killed is not
20 die!
One morning the great news spread
IN Paris Of the German retirement.
through which a large portion of the
occupied territory IN Northern France
found itself Unexpectedly liberated.
The two old people were able me day
to take a train to go and sec what
remained of their house and their prop
erty.
The neighbors had told them that the
rapidity of the retreat had prevented
the enemy from destroying things on
grand scale in that particular sector
Perhaps the house will be still
standing" they repeated to each other
on the way home.
But each OF them knew that the other
was thinking especially of the dearly
loved chestnut-of the tree in which
the body and soul of their vanished
child continued to live, as long ago the
hamadryads used to live in the oaks.
The house might be destroyed. But
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
The Two Deaths
Of Little Pierre
By Mime. Lucie Delarue-Madrus
Translated by William l.. McPhe7sor
Translated by William l.. MCPHERSON
Copyright, 1918, By The Tribune Association,


Here story avich snoWs delicate laagiuaton o.s
true poetic feeling. Mne Delarue-ladrs poet of d;st
ton a0e successful 1orter Of drama and felton, H.
Dorh has peculiar quality of refinement Even yhe It de
clh the hardest realities OF there is aIea IN it Of a
llght that novor on lanG or s
IN tins story the love Of the French people jor their soil
(ol the elds the trees the landscape 'clch part Of M
Ves Effectively employed 10 gi0e color aid ritay to noa
laacy Perhaps other manifestation Of German btala
has touched the French mind so much the devosa;
Of the occupied territory In that the uader has taken doy
toll Of death and desecratjoyst from the untcppv Deox
left behind and then from the soil itself and all that mads
beautiful and hobitable. wy
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17

try into the war. Before that event
1t was, of course, forbidden to re-
cruit men for any foreign army in the
United States. But as soon as war
was declared here the question arose
Why not Polish Legion in America
Happily, 1t was answered in the al
iirmatiyc by an order OF October G
last, which authorized the recruiting
for such an organization of any Poles
in this country who had not become
naturalizcd and were therefore not
subject to CONSUMPTION for the Amer
can army.
The leader in this movement was the
pianist and composer, Ignace Jan Pad
erewski. who last fall cancelled an i'm
portant concert tour in order to give
all his time and strength to the or
ganlzation of a Polish Legion. Al
ready. on October A, two days before
the recruiting of Poles was authorized.
a great KoscuiszkO centenary celsbra-
ton had been held in Chicago. at which
the new national battle hymn. COM
posed in both words and music by Mr..
PadercWski, had been sung, and at
which were consecrated the battle flags
which were to be borne by the legion
whose formation was already conf
IDENTIFY anticipated.
Paderewski in December conferred
with tho Secretary of War. and Sc
cured from him the grant of extern
sIye grounds and buildings at Fort
Niagara, New York, as training can
torment for the recruits. Already a
Polish camp had been established at
Niagara -the-Lake, but it was insult
ilclent IN size and was so ovcrcrowded
that no more men could be received.
and recruiting was thus in danger Of
being halted. Secretary Bakers pro-
vision Of ample room for 1000 more
men at Fort Niagara was thus Of i'm
mense advantage, and enabled recruit
ing and training to be continued with
out delay. Within four months moro
than 10000 men were in the Polish
ranks.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
He Was Digging
A Little Hole

mere the old woman intervened:
we saw our little Pierre digging a
hole in the ground, with his little
fingers, like this, and burying in it the
biggest of the chestnuts. We werc
both very much astonished, as you NAV
imagine"
Then the husbands:
I'VE didn't believe it would gernin-
ate. Nobody would have thought that.
Our garden IS about as big as a pocket
handkerchief. And nothing had ever
grown in it but some tiny grass blades
and three flowers"
Then the wife:
But four years later we noticed a
little tree appearing in the grass plot.
Then we remembered and cried; 1T is
little Picrre's chestnut tree.''
At this point the old people always
wept little. Then the husband wiped
bis eyes and said mournfully:
'He died"
"And we had left only his tree" said
the wife. giving the finishing touch 10
the story.
But a moment afterward she would
add: u
$50 We called the chestnut tree
Little Pierce"
On other occasions they told about
the size of the tree, the shape of its
branches and the color of its bark.
And the neighbors who listened to
their talk felt that this chestnut tree
vas for them thing even more sacred
tnan the tomb of their little son. A
tree which takes root is a living
thing, it grows like little boy, then it
enlarges its girth like a young man
then it becomes dignified and settled
like man whose career has been made.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17

on the tiny grass plot the YOUNG ~.
which bore the name o. little piasss
would give TIE two aged exiles y,o.s
*lng more acceptable TO them tam s. w..
or an undamaged roof or an unss t..
tered hearthstone. They cxpecte sI. "
r ,nd II s ters pat patent H. faithful with its
Of little house, dominating he s rsal
place, casting toward the white sI L.V I.
black winter branches, in wbjes my nc, ,'s
hidden the future foliage Of SUM. .ag
overspreading with its bulk tbn be-; iea.
walls and the narrow area of to l;. IVY
garden. They were gong TO sn ,tI'i !.
agaln-their tree, an isiet of yer ,.i :.
s s1Iapfnde ed between 3s the earth and the
lustrous trunk in whose SAP was - e.o ana
life for at least two centuries ill =.
last it should die slowly, but erect s,t' d. a.
Is the habitude of noble, virile tres, sS
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17

Poland shau not fau or perish
While her sons are Ii1ng.
Though they robbed US, ave'U re-
deem at,
With oar good saco,xss stq-iping.
Fo9roard for Polandi Liberty for
Poland!
March, march, for Poland! Liberty
for Poland!
Polish Rumn.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
By Leon L.andsberg
4 GAIN the Polish Legion! The

4 GAIN the Polish Legion! The
"A first was Kosciuszko's; the latest
is Paderewski's; both names
greatly endeared to America. There
are grateful memories of Pan Tadeusz,
whom we call Thaddeus of Warsaw, in
our Revolutionary history, and the
name of his garden has long been ia
miliar to successive classes of West
Point cadets and their fair visitors.
And now Paderewski, speakably en-
deared to myriads of American music
lovers, enrolls another Polish legion on
American soil, which shall fight as Of
old by the side Of our troops, on the
sacred soil of France. Between the two,
nearly a century and half apart,
many a time has a Polish legion done
gallant work in war, though under an
alien flag. Now. in the fulness of time,
it may have the glad privilege of fight
ing against it's old oppressors under it's
own Polish standard Of crimson and
white. For there has also been fully
formed in France Polish legion which
is an autonomous force, fighting under
its own Polish colors, and that which
Paderewski has organized here will
doubtless have the same status. The
new Polish Republic which will emerge
from the ruck of the world war is al
ready potentially one Of the Allied ma
tons.
There is & peculiar fitness in this
rallying of the Poles to the aid Of
France, since this will be the fifth time
IN g little more than a hundred years
that they have done so. In the Middle
Ages a French princess was a Queen
Of Poland and a French duke was Of
Tered the Polish crown
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17

and the disastrous expedition to Hayti,
Dombrowski organized a new Polish
legion in Italy. A second, the Legion
of the Danube, under General Kniazie-
wicz, served with Moreau in Germany.
A third, the Legion of the North, was
organized in the fall of 1906 by Gen.
eral Zayontchek, and second Legion
of the North was formed by General
Wolodokowicz in the following spring.
In 1903 and 1909 were formed, respec-
lively, the first and second Polish
legions of the Vistula.
In the Peninsular War the soldiers
of Poland were conspicuous. In CO.
operation with Marshal Davoust, Prince
Joseph Poniatowski, who also became
a marshal of France, organized at War
saw itself a legion which was soon
heard of in Spain.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-17
Believed Napoleon
Country s Saviour

In Napoleon the Poles thought they
saw their political deliverer, and thou
sands of them focked to his standard.
under the Directory, in the Consulate
and in the First Empire. 1t was Thad-
deus Kosciuszkos friend, Henry Dom
browski, who organized two Polish
iegions and offered them to the Di-
rectory. Under the law as it then was
they could not be accepted. Thereupon
they went over to the Cisalpine Rcpub-
lie, which had been organized by Bona
parte, and there found service. AL
ready had Poles become eminent in the
Trench army. Joseph Sulkowski was
one of the chief aids to Berthier in his
Italian campaign, and was the STRAIT
egIst who planned the expedition to
Egypt, whittier he went with Bona
parte,
Dombrowski's call for Polish soldiers
for the French army was responded to
by myriads, both of Poles at Warsaw
and of those who had been exiled to
alien lands. They played a great part
IN the conquest of Northern italy. sing
ing their war song:
March, march, Dombrowski, from
ltaly's soil to Poland
Under thy leadership will we restore
our nation!"
AT Ancona, in the Church of Loretto,
was found the sword of John Sobieski.
THIS Bonaparte bestowed upon Dom
hrowski, who in turn transferred it to
hosciuszko. When the Grand Duchy of
warsaw was established, Pan Tadeusz
IN gratitude returned the sword to Ma
poleon, who left it to the little "Aic-
= Ion, She King of Rome
Alter the bloody campaign of 1893