The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-01-31
aimed TO Make
POLAND DESERT
German System Reckoned on
Starvation of People to Pro-
mote Imperial Ends.
Won KRIEs REVEALED PLOT
Country, After Population Had Been
systematically Done to Death, Was
to Be Restocked by Settlers
From Germany.

Inc eTtenC OF human misery ="
Poland caused By the German oc-
cupation tDas as great as that IN Bel
gium and France. The entire heart
lessness phich characterized the kai-
ser's high officers is sDell shown in a
statement By Mr.. Vernon Kellogg,
prepared for a pamphlet issued by
the committee on public infornsa-
tion, Which we copy.
The systematic exploitation Of hui
man misery by the German authorities
In Poland followed the general plan
laid down by the kaiser's orders. In
order to prove the identity of proceed
ure 1t will be enough to present the
detailed report prepared specially for a
pamphlet issued by the committee on
public information and written by Mr..
Frederic G. Walcott. A fuller and In
some ways more touching treatment
is given in his article, Devastated
Poland" in the National Geographic
Magazine for May, 1917.
September, 1917.
"Poland-Russian Poland-is per-
fishing. And the German high COM
mand, imbued with the Prussian sys-
tenn, is coolly reckoning on the neces-
stiles of a starving people to promote
its imperial ends.
"West Poland, which has been Prus-
sian territory more than hundred
years, is disappointment to Ger
many; its people Obstinately remain
Poles. This time they propose swifter
measures. In two or three years, by
grace Of starvation and frightfulness,
they calculate East Poland will be
thoroughly made over into German
province.
"In the great Hindenburg drive one
year ago, the country was completely
devastated by the retreating Russian
army and the oncoming Germans. A
million people were driven from their
homes. Half of them persisted by the
roadside. For miles and miles, when /
saw the country, the way was Uttered
with mudsoaked garments and bones
picked clean by the crows-thOugh the
larger bones had been gathered by the
thrifty Germans to be ground into fer
tilizer. Wicker baskets-the little bas-
ket in which the baby swings from the
rafters In every peasant home-were
scattered along the way, hundreds and
hundreds, until one could not count
them, each one telling death.
Deliberate Policy Of Starvation.
"Warsaw, which had not been de-
stroyed-once a proud city Of million
people-was utterly stricken. Poor
folks by thousands lined the streets,
leaning against the buildings, shivering
in snow and rain, too weak to lift q
hand, dying of cold and hunger. Though
the rich gave all they had, and the
poor shared their last crust, they were
starving there in the streets In droves.
"In the stricken city, the German gov.
ernor of Warsaw issued q prOclama-
ton. All able-bodied Poles were bid
den to go to Germany to work. If any
refused. let no other Pole give him to
eat, not so much as mouthful, under
penalty of German military law.
ut was more than the mind could
grasp. To the husband and father of
broken families, the high command
gave this decree: Leave your families
to starve; If you stay, we shall see that
you do starve-this to a high-strung,
sensitive. highly organized people, this
from the authorities of nation pro-
Tossing civilization and religion to mil
lions Of fellow Christians captive and
starving.
General Won Kries, the governor,
was kind enough to explain. Candidly,
they preferred not quite so much star
walton; it might get on the nerves Of
the German soldiers. But, starvation
being present, 1t must work for Ger
man purpose. Taking advantage of
this wretchedness, the working men of
Poland were to be removed; the coun-
try was to be restocked with Germans.
It was country Germany needed-rich
alluvial soil-better suited to German
expansion than distant possessions. If
the Poland that was had to perish, so
much the better for Germany.
To Make Poland German Province.
Remove the men, let the young and
weak die, graft German stock on the
women. See how simple 1t is: with
crafty smile, General Won Kries con-
cluded, BY and by we must give back
freedom to Poland. Very good; 1t will
reappear as German province
SLOWLY. I came to realize that this
monstrous, incredible thing was the
Prussian system. deliberately chosen
by the circle around the all-highest,
and kneaded into the German people
till 1t became part of their mind.
German people are material for
building the state-of no other account.
Other people are fol. Germany's will to
work upon. Humanity, liberty, equality,
the rights of others-all foolish talk.
Democracy, an idle dream. The true
Prussian lives only for this, that the
German state may be mighty and great.
"All the woes in the long count
- A.