The New York herald., 1921-05-29

IN Upper Silesid, its method OF
fighting and conduct during the
first stages Of the revolt are giUen
n, the follo,oin0 article toritten bD
u NEW YORK HERALD correspond
ent toj1o accompanied the rebels
sohen they launched their initial
military operations.
BY SANFORD GRIFFITH.
Special Correspondence to THE NEW YORK
HERALD.
Copyright, 1891. by THE New YORK HERALD.
OppELN. May 12.-Crowds of work
men and farlnhands In military for
nation were shivering in the cold and
rain outside an Upper Silesian town
occupied by Germans. They were
awaiting the hour for the signal to
attack. They were for the most part
armed with rifles. but some of them
had shot guns and few only clubs.
Th9y were not all young boys, for
there were older men among them. All
were dressed In the clothes they had
worn at their work In the mines or on
the farms. Many of them We're with
out shirts. many had only the rem
na.nts OF shoes on their feet, none had
blankets.
Some said they had marched hun
dred miles to the north from Pless.
But mono complained and all seemed to
be gladly awaiting the fight. THE
NEW York HERALD correspondent saw
the same battalion three days later
during the advance on kandrzyn. BY
that time some of them had no shoes
at all and all were ragged but they
marched forward under the red and
white Polish banner singing the Up
per Silesfan independence anthem,
which. freely translated, runs some
thing like this:
There will be battle near Bytum.
mourn over my grave. But one day
victory will come and Upper Silesia
will be Polish and free.'
Won't Go Back to Germany.
This recalled a speech made by an
Upper Silisian architect during the
plebiscite. Now the eyes of the world
are turned toward u.s." he said. "And
this marks the moment of our free
dom. We will never go back to Ger
many"
The writer heard the remark ring a
hundred times from the insurgents
during the present operations. but now
1t has been ampllfled by Adelbert Kor-
fantys vaunted threat I'VE will leave
tho land another Sahara before we sur
render"
The Polish uprising is genuine
peoples war. 1t is true that 1t was
plotted by a few leaders. 1t is true that
It makes use OF the toughest bandit
bands of Europe. But even so 1t has
become the war Of an entire race in one
of the densest districts of industrial
Europe and cannot be ended without
being understood as such. The Polish
population represents close to 70 per
cent. OF tho total within Korfanty s
lines. 1t is revolving for the third time
within two years against German rule
and 1t refuses ito be bartered like
cattle with their mines"
The only difference in the present re-
volt IS that this time 1t has leaders and
. programme. 1t has an army close to
10000 strong, according to It's leader.
and the additional support of 10000
armed local volunteers and $4,000 re-
serves as yet unarmed. These fighters
have been organized into companies and
battalions under experienced leaders, 40
per cent. of them having been officers
In the old German army.
The Interallied Commission at Oppein
daily published reassuring bulletins
saying that order was being restored
that the general strike was over and
that trains were beginning to run. But
tho Allies are helpless to move about
in Upper Silesla excepting as the pro-
visional insurgent Government per-
mits. Order IS being restored simply
because the Poles now seek to operate
the machine they have captured.
Insurgents utilize Time.
Each day gives tho insurgents more
time to dig In along Korfanty's frontier,
to smuggle In more arms and to COM
plete their military organization. Kor-
fanty and Nowina-Doliva, commander OF
the insurgent army, assert that they
have won a military victory and now
are concentrating for a political one.
This does not mean that they feel them
selves able TO stand up and fight the
world or even a German or allied army
alone. 1t Is simply that the initial vic
tory combined with the general stua-
ton gives them hope that they can hold
out until their political claims are recog-
nized. The insurgents assert that they
have put n fact accomplished before the
Allies which cannot be ignored by the
council of Ambassadors.
The insr,rRents tss,S tho entire coun-
nyside, with few cities where the Ger
mans and allied troops are completely
encircled. The insurgents expect the
cities 20 capltuate when their food sup
plies run short and they see tho futility
of further resistance Among the Poles
there are even many who voted German
who now have been carried away by
the enthusiasm of the Polish cause.
Every village had mobilized Its entire
population and Polish flags are flying
over all public buildings and factories.
The real test OF the inner strength of the
insurgents will come when tho first en-
thusasm dies out and they find them
selves confronted with food, wage and
Industrial problems.
THE NEW York HERALD correspondent
went forward with the eastern In
surgents with Commander Nowina-
Doliva, entering the line with tho so.
called death battalion at Kattowitz and
reaching the railroad station at Kan
drxyn with the insurgents after two hourc
OF fghting. This was the final opera
tion of the first phase and the one most
disputed because the town, which Is near
the Oder River, is n junction OF railroad
lines running in both directions
Col. Nowina -Doliva spoke conf
IDENTIFY of the development In the opera
tions and said he was convinced that
the insurgents now installed ON the
Korfanty line could hold their own. He
100 ~ ,nifnrrn. op1v n brown tweed