Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-10-15
Awful Condition of the PeopIe

Awful Condition of the People
The Rev. Prof. M. J. Stolee of st.
Paul, Minnesota, one of the commiss-
toner's sent by the American Lutheran
church to visit the Lutheran church in
Europe, has just returned to this coun-
try. The following is a brief state
ment of the conditions which he per-
sonally witnessed in Poland:
There are one million Lutherans
in Poland. When the Germans apv
preached Warsaw in 1915 the Rus
slams ordered an exodus of the Luth-
eran Poles. One hundred and ten
thousand Lutheran men were torn
from their families and sent to Siber-
ia. Ten days later the women and
children were also sent to Siberia.
In each case they had only "a hours
notice and were utterly unable to
make any provision regarding their
property. Most of the pastors were
permitted to go with the women and
children, chiefly that they might bury
the children who died by the score
daily along the route.
All through the long years of the
war these people were in exile in 81
IBERIA and thousands upon thousands
of families were never able to find
Oit dIObHtI again. w men TIE war
was ended they were permitted to re-
turn. Now they were confronted with
the Red Terror, the BolsheVists. Wo-
alike were killed in cold blood. The
pastors who refused to leave their
people were made to face the firing
squad and in many cases were cruel
fed above the alters of their own
churches. Only remnant remains.
Most of the smaller children have
died. Prof Stolee says that children
eight and ten years of age look as
old as the people of ninety.
Those who survived found upon
their return that their homes had
been either totally destroyed or were
occupied by their Catholic neighbors.
When our commissioners visited them,
they found them living in dugouts in
the ground without food, without
lclothing, without any earthly posses
sion of any kind. The only food
available was a sort of soup made
from nettles. Both men and women
and children were more than half max
ed. All they have is a hole in the
ground which because of the low, fiat
country often has a foot of mud in
the bottom of it. If relief does not
come before winter they will die of
cold and hunger. They were dying
when Prof Stolee was there. They
are dying now.
Their greatest need and the one
thing that must be done at once if
| the lives of thousands of these I'M
lfortunates are to be saved from death
this winter, is to send them enough
clothes TO keep them from freezing
to death. Arrangements have been
made that as fast as the clothing and
bedding is received at the port of
Dantzig it win be forwarded by rail
to Warsaw under the special guar
antee of United States Minister to
Poland, Mr.. Hugh Gibson, and by him
turned over to Pastor Julius Bursehe,
the head Of the Lutheran church in
Poland, for distribution.
| ANY person who is willing to con-
tribute old clothing and bedding to
help save human lives in Poland
should notify the nearest Lutheran
pastor who will gladly receive such
assistance.
Farmers, if you are in need of
/ Fire or Tornado insurance call at the
First National Bank and we will send
our special agent to look over your
property and make rates. No assess
ments. 18-tf
Our eyes differ as our faces diff
fer. Dr. Evenson, the 0ptomitrist of
Lacrosse, gives valuable service with
his skill and knowledge Of eye trou-
bIes. His ability insures correct
glasses if needed. Don't try glasses.
Have Dr.. Evenson examine your eyes
first. DR.. Evenson is the Optomtrist
of La Crosse who has been successful
for over seventeen years. His Office
is equipped with fine instruments Of