New-York tribune., 1919-12-28

Wife of Pianist and
Premier Tells of
Launching the
New Republic

United States among Polish soldiers
who are being demobilized because
Of physical incapacity. Irena was
his nineteen-year-oid assistant, still
IN her military hat and coat after q
year Of service.
In came couple Of boys, one
slight and pale, with a new and ap-
parently severe head wound, the
other stubby and solid and with a
black patch over one eye.
"Sit down." the doctor called 20
them cheerily. ~ try to make 'ena
comfortable here" he explained to
me with smile. "They deserve It.
Heaven knows, at the front there's
little enough consideration for these
girls"
Girls! So they were. In their
uniforms, with their close-cropped
hair and sturdy bearing, 1 had
thought them boys. They we're both
about seventeen and had been fight
--ie AOA iSdilN lWO years.
Anna, the one with the patch. was
Just out Of hospital, recovering from
an abdominal bullet wound. Through
an Interpreter I ascertained she
came from the Ukraine, the unhappy
region to the east largely held by
the Bolsheviki
why did you go into the arny9"
asked.
"My thirteen brothers and MY
father were fighting. Ny mother
is dead she answered. $50 cut
my hair, borrowed uniform from
my little brother Stephan, and en-
listed"
Where are your brothers now?"
They are all dead" Anna re-
piled evenly. Three died fighting
The others were killed by the BoI-
shevlki. Now l am trying to get
we'll enough to go back and kill
themw
After luncheon at the palace. when
l had shaken hands with the host
and hostess, according to the pleas
ant Polish custom, Nine. Paderewska
brought in for a moment Jadzia, the
eleven-yearold orphan waif she has
adopted. Jadzia is wide-eved little
relic of the days of Polandss
greatest tragedies, when the people
were swept away like cattle to the
east and north by the retreating
Russians. Her parents have disap-
peared long since She knows moth
ing OF who she is or where she came
from, Only She is very happy now
because she has all the food she can
eat and warm, soft clothes to wear.
and Ping, Nine Paderewska's aristo-
cratic though one-eyed Pekingese. to
play with
There are thousands OF other
freezing, starving Jadzias. young
and old, who might envy Nine. Pade-
rewska's happy waif could they DOS
slbly understand that such an un-
behevable fairy story actually had
come true. Out at Powansky, the
refugee station near Warsaw. You
may see some Of them daily. their
mlseries and extraordinary wander
lngs paling into insignificance those
OF the tribes of Israel 1t is said.
probably truly, that in remote ST.
IBERIA there are still lines of expa-
tr1ated Poles plodding through the
SHOWS who know neither that their
fatherland is freed or that the war
is over!
10 a country Of such tragedies
the Paderewskis went. Behind them
IN America they left comfort and
wealth and acclaim. In abandon
ing the American concert stage it
IS tar to estimate that Paderewski
renounced at least half a million
dollars in the last FIVE years. Also.
they turned their backs upon the
happiness of their villa in Switzer-
land.
However one regards it, what q
romantic adventure it has heen'
The Polish pianist, having won fame
and wealth in America, returned to
the land of his forefathers as its
leader in the hour Of its rega;ned
freedom. For nearly a year The
artist has held his own at the coun.
ellis OF the worlds leaders and bas
retained his seat in the saddle of
this hardy young stallion of TIE
north, at least until it Las hecone
reasonably bridie-wise.
And now the Premier has n,r-
rendered the reins Again, perhaps
nc viii become pianist. The adven-
ture is ended, the chapter closed
unless another as picturesque sud-
denly opens; taste for politics and
PUBIC place, once acquired, is moro
too readily cast aside. Be tha+ q.
it may, when the history Of remada
Europe is written. tha lo-o~4