The daily progressive-miner., 1918-06-27
POLAND'S DRIVE
 FOR FREEDOM

An army of 15,0O0 Poles, recruited in the United States is to-day fighting
 side by side with our own soldiers on the western front in France.
 Coming at the apex of our struggle
 for democracy, this announcement has peculiar interest. It recalls the memory of Kosciuzsko and Pulaski and the aid which they gave to the American Colonies in the Revolution ary War. It makes the liberty-lOving Polish people once more a factor in
 world politics. It arrays against the autocratic central powers yet another small nation and makes more possible of realization the dream of freedom. which they have cherished for almost two centuries.
 Ignace Jan Paderewski has been the
 moving spirit behind this army of American Poles. Already known to the world as great pianist and com poser, he has now become great ieGUcI OI lIcu l<dSI ldll llC SdACCllCu an important concert tour and devoted his time to gathering the elements of a
 Polish army. On October 4, at the Kosciuszko centeniary celebration in Chicago a new Polish battle hymn was sung. both the words and music of which were written by Paderewski Two days later our Government for
 mally authorized the recruiting of a Polish army in the United States. 10 .e composed of men who were not yet naturalized and consequently not draftable. They were sent to a camp at Niagara on the Lake for training
 and steps were taken to secure more
 ample accommodations fo" them.
 Trained at Fort Niagara In December Mir Paderewski had
 As a result, Fort Niagara was tulnei over to the Poles, to he used as their cantonment. By February 1 there were 10000 soldiers established there
 learning the methods of modern war
 Additional volunteers continued 70
 come in during the weeks which fol-
 lowed, and the Army which sailed in
 May was well prepared to face the
 Hun with his own kind of weapons
 These fighting men are true volun-
 teers. They include soldiers of all
 ages-young men, middle-aged men,
 and mere boys. They receive only , cents a day as pay, and an additional
 allotment of $150 year-hardly an
 adequate bonus in these days. They have neither war-risk insurance nor pension provisions; but men with wholly dependent families are not per
 mitted to enlist. Their enthusiasm is splendid, and they are stalking every
 thing upon their hopes of a free Po- I land
 This is not the first Polish Army to be formed. In addition to the Polish | legion in the German Army and the Polish Army in Russia, there has for about a year been an army of Poles i fighting on the side of the French On June 5. 1917, President Raymond l Poincare issued an order which cre- ated for the period of the war an au- 1 tonomous Polish Army, which should
 be under the direction of the French
 high command but should fly the Po- { fish flag-a silver eagle on a maroon field. This legion was officered by
 Frenchmen, who have spoken in the
 most glowing terms of the fire and
 spirit of the troops in their command. The Polish troops recruited in the
 United States will fly both the Polish
 eagle and the Stars and Stripes.
 German Oppression in Poland | Among the American-Polish soldiers
 are many Russian Poles To under
 stand why these men hate Germany,
 we need only to refer to one of the
 shameful insults heaped upon them ] by recent order of Gov von Beseler. | Upon the walls of Warsaw there re- gently appeared an official proclama-
 tion which contained these words: 1 The Government suggests i that mothers having children should send them to Germany to be brought
 Up and educated. Mothers who are willing to make this arrangement will receive the sum of 150 marks for a boy and 100 marks for a girl. No other