New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
The Other Poles
To the Editor of The Tribune.

10 the Editor or The tribune.
Sir: In Mrs. Appleton's article entitled
''Slavs Want Own Foreign Legion in United
States Army" published in the Sunday
Tribune Of June 9, 1918, we noticed some
statements pertaining to the Polish army
in France which are obviously we'll in
tended and generally true, but not explicit
enough to give the reader clear idea of
the situation.
There is at present no foreign legion in
France composed of Poles, Czechs and
Jugo-Slavs." The French Foreign Legion,
which is a unit composed of volunteers of
various nationalities, must not be confused
with the Polish army in France, which is
made up If Poles entirely and exclusively.
The Czecho- Slovaks fighting on the French
front have also separate organization, not
affiliated either with the Foreign Legion or
with the Polish army
TIE Polish population in the United
States numbers nearly 100000 The census
figures are of no value in this matter, since
they classify many Poles as Austrians, Ger
mans or Russians.
There is, further, no Legion of Polish
Volunteers in America" alleged to number
5000. All men recruited in this country
for the Polish army in France are sent TO
q camp in Canada, where they receive some
preliminary training before going to
France. the number of men in camp is
never great, as the volunteers are sent
across as fast as transports are available.
The Poles serving in the United States
army 40 not form a separate organization,
but are scattered in the various units and
their status IS precisely the same as that
of the other American soldiers. 1t must hs
borne in mind that the men recruited in
this country for the Polish army in France
are not subject to draft and their enlist
rnent does net interfere with the conscrip-
ton of men into the American forces. They
are all volunteers either above or below
the draft age, or exempted on che ground
OF alienage, and are, therefore. q net addi-
ton to the fighting forces OF the Allies.
The recruiting carried on in this country
for the Polish army in France does not con-
tribute to splitting up of the uniform
military organization of the United States"
since it affects men who are at present out
side OF the United States armed forces and
are not subject to be called out for service
IN the American army. The recruiting has
the sanction and support of the American
government, which doubtless would not
have authorized anything tending to disor-
ganize the American fighting machine.
1t must be stated emphatically that the
Polish organization bearing the pretentious
name Of National Defence Committee rep
resents small group of individuals Of so
cialistic and l. W. W. trend of mind, who
attempted at the beginning OF the war to
create pro-German movement among the
Poles in America and now are using al
possible pretexts for diseouraging enlist
ment IN the Po'ish army But the over
whelming majority OF the Polish population
IN this country stands unified in its loyalty
TO the United States and in support of the
Polish army fighting on the side of the
Allies in France.
We desire to make it plain that these
statements are not intended to discredit the
general purposes Of Mrs. Appleton's excel
lent article. with whose ideas we are en-
tirely in sympathy.
POLISH MILITARY COMMISSION
New York, June IL. 1918,
Some Pie Eater