Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-03-24
POLISH ARMY IS
 GAIHfRI FROM
 ALL OVER W0RLD
Thousands Flock to France Where They Will Fight
 Under Own Leaders.


 French Front, February 2S.-(Cor- respondence of the Associated Press. ) Patriotic Poles are gathering rapid ly in France to fight under their own banner against the Central empires under whose rule tithel they or their forefathers have suffered oppression The correspondent of the Associated Press saw thousands of them drawn up, the other day, in companies and squads under officers of their own na- tionality, whose words of command were given in Polish.
 The officers and men had come to- e'ether from most of the countries of the world where they had taken re- l fuge in order to escape from service in the armies of the nations which had 1 conquered and annexed their lands Poles were there from California, Ari- zona, New York, Chicago, Pittsburg, l Niagara, Cleveland, as we'll as from | other many other American cities and also from Canada, England, Scotland, Holland, Denmark, Russia. All had sent contingents large or small, while France had furnished considerable detachment of Poles had seen service in her armies since the opening of hostilities in 1914, many of whom l wore decorations won on the battle fields of France and Belgium or dur ing the Salonika or Dardenelles ex. petitions.
 The correspondent spoke with many of the Poles from America and from 1p lo~ T lucrative employment when the call went out for recruits to serve under the Polish colors. One was a lock- smith from Niaoara who was beyond draft age and who could have remain ed comfortably in the home he had chosen in the United States leaving the younger men to fight. but he had felt that the opportunity had come to to take part in the struggle for the freedom of Poland. He at once en- listed and came to France. Another was a shipping clerk from Chicago, where he had lived virtually the whole of his life. A third was a mere school-boy from the same city, where he was born of Polish parents. AL though scarcely understanding the language of his parents he had regis tered at the recruiting office and been accepted. Yet another was a man of middle age who had served in the American regular army.
 Most of the Poles from America are miners and day laborers, only a few of whom speak English and all of whom had been moved by pure patri- otism to rally to their countrv's flag kL> Of ;ol,%; Eo- One American Pole, who had lived in Glasgow, Scotland, for many years, had been interned in camp in Eng | land as an enemy allen Turing thirty two moe+hs after tEe oltt :cak of war. He was thoroughly pleased when he and some fellow Poles were informed they were at liberty to go to France to join the newly formed Polish army, and today he declared it the realiza- tion of his lifelong dream to be serv- ing under the Polish flag.
 The correspondent visited only one of the several Polish camps-that in which the recruits are received and in- corporated. In tho other centers spread about France the men are formed into infantry regiments, artil- lery batteries, cavalry squadrons and engineer and field service companies accordngi to their physicique and ap- titudes.
 The men on parade presented very fine appearance and seemed to apply themselves with great intelligence and energy to the acquisition of military instruction. Every word of command was obeyed with extreme alacrity. All those with whom the correspondent conversed were anxious to learn when they were to be sent to the front, the desire being general among them to get into the actual fighting as soon as possible.
 General Archinard, who is in com mand of the new army now speedily attaining considerable proportions in consequence of fresh arrivals from America and England, presented on the occasion of the centenary of Kos ciusko, the Polish flag to the first company of the first infantry reg- ment, which bears it proudly at it's head when on the march or on cere- mcnial occasions.