davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
The Fine Corner Lot That Should Fall to Poland's
Share, No Matter How Ger
many Kicks

of Germans between the Vistula and the
Memel, with Konigsberg as their capital,
will be separated from the main mass of
Germans to the westward, isolated poit-
cally and economically hemmed in by
Poles and Lithuanians, and occupying
thin facade between the Baltic and the
solid block of Poles to the south. This
the situation when Frederick the
Great engineered the first partition of
Poland in 1772 to obtain land communica-
ton with his East Prussian territories.
By contrast, If this Polish arm, with
Danzig, does not fall to the new Poland
there will be created a state with at least
25000,000 Of people within it's frontier,
highly industrialized, capable of indefinite
economic expansion, but lacking an outlet
upon the sea. Such nation will be wholly
at the mercy of the Germans occupying the
narrow strip between the Baltic and the
new Poland, and thus holding the lower
watches of the Vistula which is to Poland
what the Mississippi River was to the re-
gion between the Alleghanies and the
Rockies before the era of railroads.
1t is quite plain that if Poland is to be
SIFOng, Independent natl0n, economically
and politically, it must have an outlet upon
the sea- it must have Danzig. 1t can only
have the outlet by isolating East Prus-
STA, and Polish possession of Danzg and It's
restricted sea coast would be wholly in
secure just long as Prussia cherished
the hope Of retaining her landward con-
nection with East Prussia.
We have here, then, one of the most diff
fcult problems. The basis of self -determi-
nation does not suffice, because if you fol-
lowed race boundaries merely Poland
would reach the Baltic and the separation
of the Prussians would be achieved, but
Danzig would remain Prussan and Poland
would have no seaport, for the shore of the
Polish strip the Baltic is sandy and in
hospitable. Therefore it is plain that Dan
zig must return to Poland, that the whole
of the Polish speaking west bank Of the
Vistula must be included in the new Polish
state. 1t is equally plain that Posen must
be restored to Pc and. 1t was not safely in
Guided in Prussia until the Congress of
Vienna which partitioned Napoleon's Grand
Duchy of Warsaw, the surviving remnant
of the Polish kingdom, nor is it less neces-
sary that Poland should have Polish Si]esia.
Thus constituted with only Polish speak
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

ing regions included, Poland would become
a nation of at least 25000,0 0G people, far
larger in area than modern Italy. We're it
conceivable that the various disputes be-
tween other races notably with the Lith-
uanans and the Ruthenians, were settled
by the inclusion of large areas of territory
Polish, but inhabited by other races
now in part, at least, then the new Poland
would have an area as great as that of
France and no. less than 10000, 600 of people,
But this really great state would still
have on the a frontage of only some
fifty miles, with Danzig as it's sole port, and
between the Vistula and the Memel mar
row strip inhabited by Prussian Germans,
with German sympathies, would separate
the Poles from the sea. Here would be the
unacceptable cause Afor new wars, for rival
ries and for ambitions 1t seems to me that
for this situation there can be but one So
luton. Not to include the whole sea coast
from the Polish strip to the Memel in the
new Poland would be to hold out new
temptations for another Polish partition
This particular problem will be long de-
bated The claims of the Germans and of
the Slavs are both imposing. All depends
upon whether it be the purpose at Yer
sailles to follow abstract principles rigor-
ously or to erect living and enduring ma
tons, with all proper regard for conflicting
claims which do not stand in the way of
this larger object. Whether the future of
20,o00,000 Poles, whose race has been
for two centuries the victims of the gross
est wrongs, is to count, or that of 100000
Germans, themselves invaders in the far
off times, this must be the real question.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

ALL 1t seems the police have been taking
them up and pushing them socially, and
as for Roy, it makes him i'll, he says, to
see them standing around the street cor
ners looking as if they owned the earth.
The stlrrups are uneven again." said
Roy. 1t sounded polite-lke conversation
but knew that it was meant as COM
plant, Roy having been irritated bv orr
lapse from conventionality. This matter
OF the stlrrups is sore point between us,
Tor the fact Of the matter is that one of nv
legs IS longer than the other, and Row has
never been reconciled to the necessity
which thus devolves upon me of hitching
up one of the stirrups to fit me- He does
not see why he should appear to be lop-
sided just because l happen to be.
What" says l, tactfully changing the
subject, els the entire horse population Of
New York;"
"l'm sure I don't know" said Row.
"Why?"
Because" said I, not to be downed. 81
DO know; 1T Is 100000, and was wondering
how it compared to the population twenty
years ago, before the automobile came in"
Twenty years ago." said Row. in q mus
ing tone, 81 drove for the Census Bureau.
was mere colt then, making my way IN
the world-hours, 80 till 5-and, as l re-
member our population was 100000"
was too stunned by this glimpse into
Roy's past to make any comment. He con-
tinued
We have then, in spite of the automo-
blle' remained almost stationary for twenty
years, but unfortunately it is the lower
classes that are on the increase and the
arlstocracy is dying out in deploran,e
manner Why, do you know that a great.
huiklng brute of dray horse is actually
worth more in the market to-day than a
saddle horse of intelligence and breeding? ?"
Roy was almost neighing with excitement.
1t is his favorite theme, and fastened To
murmur:
Mercy to us, you don't say sol" in as
humble tone as possible.
Yes, do" continued Roy, "and what is
more, they are allowed on the Avenue to
such an extent that no well-bred horse is
sale there unless protected by a carriage
and two footmen. And in winter it,s n
scandal the way the workhorse is allowed
10 mop around and get in every ones wav
When was young those who couldn't walk
straight on the ice were made to keen off II
but now"--
but isn't it," demonstrated, educ to tho
fact that the poor things have such heavy
loads to drag?"
mat since you urge me-" said Row
looking at me gracefully for a moment over
MS shoulder, with the expression of ono
about to be polite and hateful simuItans-
ously, lis due to the stupidity and ineftic;-
ency of men. few years ago the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimaIs
offered prize of $50 for device to mt an
horses feet in winter to keep them from
falling. Six hundred inventions were aert
in from all over the world; not one of them
worked"
Sometimes am inclined to susnect that
Roy, charming AS he is, Is sometimes
snob, and so strongly did l suspect thia
that felt hesitant of quoting him as .,r
authority in my article and was theaf fora
very glad of an acquaintance that scraned
up accidentally with horse OF a very d;s-
ferent types he was IA Belgian Percheron
These, In case you are doubtful are thu
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
ne Horse in the New York Social Register

reached q secluded part of the park, and
so 1t finally came about that Roy and
found ourselves seated side by side upon
a grassy bank, talking more intimately. !
suppose, than we will ever talk again.
i see," said l, by way of opening, "that
there is a huge sale of British horses on
over in Jersey City. Now that the war is
over, what, in your opinion, will be the
status of the American army horse in
Europe?"
The attitude of slight boredom peculiar
to those being interviewed settled heavily
upon Roy.
Il think" he replied, "that their DO
sition will be more unfortunate Thew
will not be accepted socially either in
France or England, and will either have
to take up industrial work or return to
this country"
"Do you not think" I pursued "that
something ought to be done to welcome
back our returning horses from overseas ?u
DO" said Roy with feeling. mo one
has contributed more to the cause than
our young horses in the transport SER
vice. Had it not been for my social ties
| should myself have offered NV services.
as 1t is, / feel very strongly that to re-
turn home and find their jobs taken from
them, as they undoubtedly will, is a rank
injustice. Where will the traffic horse
be on his return? Where the thorough
bred?"
There is no knowing what might not
have come of my investigations had I not
learned the next day that none of our
horses were coming back. They seem to
have found jobs over there, and 100000
are expatriating themselves for life into
England, Italy and France. 1t was most
annoying to me, but, as Roy pointed out
their staying over there had its advan-
tages, for it seems that many of the horses
were not we'll bred, belonging to that
Western variety which has been making
such unfortunate inroads among the bet
ter element of the East. / was not sure
what Roy meant; he says they can be
told by the vulgar leather stirrups that
bangle from them; they cannot wear an
English saddle to save their lives. and
they do not trot properly, but have long
low lope which has got no style to it at
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

splendid great mottled gray creatures who
pull the heavy drays and vans, usually in
teams of two and often four. You must go
to the wharves to them at their best
their great muscles rolling in the sunlight.
their white names braided about their necks
and tied with absurd blue ribbons 1t is
these horses who bring more in the market
than gentlemen like Roy, and no wonder,
considering all that they do; they seem to
take the place of the elephant in American
civilization; there is nothing too monstrous
for them to haul around
The one I met was named Rex, and he was
a rough sort. He was at the time REPRESENT
ing large brewing concern, but he came
originally from Ohio, where the best Per-
cherons bred
We met in very embarrassing manner,
Rex having by accident placed his foot,
weighing about three tons, on the rear ex-
tremlty of my cat, Lilith, who was trying
to cross the street in front of our apart
mcnt. Lilith, having been got to the cat home
IN fanting condition and having been
smut out, as no relatives are allowed by the
bedside, there seemed nothing to do but re-
turn and hang around the scene of the acct
dent. The driver of the team, after hear
ing Llith's screams, had discreetly disap-
peared, but the Belgian Percheron was
standing restfully upon his foot as though
nothing had happened, and when muttered
something about the Society for the Pre-
ventlon of Cruelty to Animals he noticed
me IN Jovial sort of way, and said:
Say, lady, right you are That's one rum
institution, and don't you forget it,
| inquired codly if he were on friendly
terms with it.
NO." Rex replied, 81 wouldn't exactly
say that, but l had lady friend once that
broke her leg at the corner of Sixth Ave-
nue. and Thirtieth Street, and she got took
in by said society, and, gee, they treated
her swell. She was in the hospital for over
month, all expenses paid, and the bloke
what was hauling with me at that time
says he hears as how she got sent to the
country and likes it so much that she has
quit work for good. She had a fine posi-
ton, too; worked for the Utopian Gas for
thirteen years. They give the best feed of
any corporation, they do say The hours
are too long, though; it amt no work for
a woman, really"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

days when Frederick the Great stole it from
Maria Theresa and started the German sys-
tenn of larceny on the grand style, is purely
Polish in its population This is the region,
too, of great mineral and industrial develop
ment. If Germany loses it, as she is now
bound to lose her other great region of Al
sace-Lorraine, she will be deprived of the
greater part of the material out of which
she erected her great economic edifce in
the last half century. Yet if the frontiers
are drawn here on race divisions, aside from
a small dispute between the Czechs and the
Poles in the Teschen region, there will be
no more than justice done the Poles, and
the question of making the new frontiers in
wolves no great puzzles.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

NlOOU at the corner OF Twenty third
Street and Third Avenue and the moon
was shining.
Around the corner came a great
noise of many hoofs; then man ran along
the sidewalk and then came the horses-a
drove of them, gray and white and brown.
with no harness on, and their broad backs
shining in the dark.
What" thought /, ais their life? OF
what do they think as they trudge back
and forth?"
inns was easier to wonder than to find
out, for, after all l don't in the least know
what think about myself as l trudge back
and forth; how then should l fathom the
thoughts of one whose face is nearly two
feet long, with nothing to denote emotion
between the eyebrows and the teeth
There was nothing for it but an inter-
view, and there was only one source from
which could get that. have been in many
embarrassing situations in my, time but |
never thought should be brought so low
as to have to interview my own horse.
say my own horse. By this do not mean
that own Roy Oh, no. l am too poor TO
do that. obliged to rent him bv the
month, but this is matter which is never
spoken of between US. Our relations al
ways have been, and trust always will he
purely social.
AS we trotted sedately past the Plaza one
bright morning last week, felt, as saw, a
distinct shade of embarrassment as to how
TO begin. Yet begin I must, as the article
had to be in that night
suppose we stop here in the shade and
rest" said l, long before it was really
time to rest
had chosen a poor moment, as Row
slgnihed coldly with one glance at
policeman, whom had not noticed lurking
in the shrubbcry.
How would you like to stop for a
drink" / inquired cheerfully. 1t was
koy's favorite trough, but it seemed that
ne was not thirsty, and, as he pointed out,
he was not in the habit of drinking water
Tor the pleasure of the thing.
had to resort finally to that old one
about my left stirrup being too short but
by this time we were really hot and had
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
Combining Ill
The Polands

With the collapse of Russia and the de-
feat Of the Central Powers the Polish prob
lem passed TO the Western nations for set
Element. 1t is now for the Versailles con-
ference to draw the frontiers of the new
nation, since Germany and Russia cannot
longer resist the cession to the new state
OF their own Polish regions, while Austria
has ceased to exist. Recognizing that il
IS essential for the future safety Of Europe
tnat there should be strong Poland, we
can now consider the elements in the
problem.
lhere are many Polands and the first
step must be to examine them in the liobt
Of present conditions. The greatest Of all
Polanda is the state which extended from
the Dwlna TO the Oder and from the palt;c
TO the Carpathians, country larger than
any contemporary European nation. Save
Russia. This Poland for brief time even
touched the Black Sea, but early Withdrew
TO the Middle Dniester and Dnicper. This
was the Poland Of the first partition in
lffz' pnt II was not Poland Of Poles
merely; on all the fringes of this vast coun-
try were alien ubjects-Lithuanians White
Russians, Ruthenians and Rumanians on the
east and south, and Germans on the west
By contrast with this Poland of history
there is the Poland of fact, in the main.
but not quite, the Poland OF the Last parti
ton, in 1875. This is the true Poland Of the
Poles, and includes the whole Of Russian
Poland, the western half Of Austrian Cali
ella and all or portions Of the German PROV
jnces Of Pogen and West Prussia and
Siles'a. Actually, the Poles are in minor
III in all provinces save poscn, although
constituting s majority in many pubdI-
Visions. In this urea dwell some 20 900, 900
Poles, 100000 in Old Russian territory,
100000 In Austria, and approximately
4,0e0,o00 IN German territory.
for Themselves the Poles claim all Of
t''is region, ~ faT an II IL Polish, that Is,
ezeept "a CERTAIN llyited areas whers the
Defhean aud Shy can be easily separated
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
San lIihieZ
Wedge of Races

AS one proceeds northward however real
dlfflculties are encountered--those of Posen
and of the Danzig extension. Westward
from the solid mass of Polish speaking
peoples there extends about and beyond
the Prussian city of Posen to the Oder and
the Wartha, point hardly a hundred miles
from Berlin, a great wedge Of Polish
speaking people. This wedge is shaped
rather like an irregular triangle, with its
point toward Berlin. In this region, com
pretended in the Prussian province of Posen,
not only is the population overwhelmingly
Polish, but here the general level of edu-
cation and race consciousness is perhaps
higher than in any other Polish section.
Here, too fighting Prussan brutality the
Poles have for more than half a century
made a gallant struggle, crowned with large
success.
But if Posen passes to Poland, as it must.
on any basis of self-determination. then a
great wedge is driven between the Prussians
to the north and south of Posen. But this
is even less an obstacle than that supplied
by the Polish situation in East and West
Prussia. Here, on the west bank of the
Vlstula River, relatively narrow arm of
follsh speaking districts extends straight
to the Baltic, west Of Danzig, with some fiftv
miles of front north of the Gulf Of
Danzig. Danzig itself, once a purely Polish
town, has been Germanzed in recent dec
AIDES, but still contains a Polish minority.
If this Polish arm is to be allotted to
Poland, then at least million and half
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
Il Barrier
For Russia

1t is therefore essential to erect between
fallen and anarchic Russia and Germany a
barrier behind which Russia can regain her
health without German molestation. If the
millions of Russians ever come under com
plete German control new outbreak of
German world ambition will infallibly
bring on another struggle, and with Rus
sian millions Germany will make new bid
for world power like that of the recent
years, when she had at her command the
millions of Slavs and Latins, as we'll as the
Germans of the Hapsburg dominions A
permanent peaceful organization of Europe
demands a barrier along the Vistula as
we'll as on the Danube and In the Transyl-
yanian highlands.
For such a barrier the solid block of
Polish people inhabiting the Vistula Valley
supplies the racial and the historical ma
terial. There was Polish nation for CEN
turtles; it was abolished only in the latter
half Of the eighteenth century, and it sur.
viyed in the shape of the Grand Duchy of
Warsaw until the Congress of Vienna To-
day there are at least 20 100000 Poles in
regions once portion of the Polish kingdom.
and these people have preserved vivid
memory Of their cid glory and possess a
keen and compelling desire to become citi-
zens of new Poland.
At the outset of the present war both the
Central Powers and Russia recognized the
necessity of making temporary concessions
to the Poles, but both made them with no
honest intent to fulfil them. After Russias
defeat Germany did organize Polish state
out OF the Russian districts belonging to
the old Kingdom of Poland but she never
for moment considered ceding to this
state her own Polish districts Instead she
looked forward to a future acquisition of
more Polish territory at the expense of the
Poland she had permitted a provisional in
dependence. Nor did Austria consent to
surrender her Poles, but urged the alterna-
tive proposition that Russian Poland be
Joined to Austrian Galcia to make q Polish
state which should be an integral portion
OF the Hapsburg monarchy, with something
like the status of Hungary.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
Il Nezo
Nations Prospects

Aside from the problem of the Prussias
however, the Polish question is relatively
simple. A new nation is going to rise on
the ruins Of the DID, with population as
great as that of France century ago and
an area which may equal that of contempt
rary France and will exceed that of re-
united Italy. What the final frontiers of
this new state to the eastward will be no
man can accurately forecast. But on all
other sides the frontiers of language and
the principles of self-determination supply
reasonably safe guides.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05

WY NSShS dSO III tAy RuHN&y alSANlS
I discussed the Transformation of
Il Southeastern Europe and the rise
of three tates-Rumania, Jugo-
Slava and Czecho -Slovakia-with the CORE
spending construction of Hungary to the
territories which are actually inhabited by
Magyars In the present article l shall try
TO review the Polish question as it must
come before the Versailles conference,
where il must prove one of the most intri-
cate and important that will have to be
settled
Al the very outset it is we'll to recog-
nize the international Importance of Po-
lsh state. We have seen that the erection
OF strong Latin and Slav states in South
eastern Europe promises a substantial and
enduring barrier against a new German
effort to restore the Nitteleuropa of other
days and crossing the Straits to lay hands
first upon Asia Minor, Syria and Mesopota-
mia, and later upon Egypt and India. Two
Slav states, with Latin Rumania, each of
the three nearly as large in area as Italy,
and in the main homogeneous, together
with friendly and enlarged Greece on
either side OF the Egean, would constitute
bulwark capable of holding up the Ger
man flood. Moreover bound to the Western
powers by sympathy their numbers would
make new alliance against Germany
which would prove irresistible
But there were two German perls. dim
ly perceived at first, but ultimately fully
grasped, the peril inherent in the German
design to reach the Golden Horn and the
Persian Gulf and the German menace ex-
pressed in the treaty of Brest-Litovsk,
which reduced Russia to anarchy, tore
from the Slav mass all the border races
and strove to erect each of these border
peoples into a state, presumptivey indie
pendent, but actually dependent upon Ger
many alike for political and economic ex-
istence. Lithuania, Poland, the Ukraine,
these were three Of the states which were
to be as subservient to Germany as the
old Confederation of the Rhine was to Napo-
leon, and through them Germany was to
be able to enter Russia when she chose