Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-06
POLAND ESTABLISHED
ASAWORLD NATION
Former Commander Fauntleroy
of kosciuszko Squadron
Gives His Views.

Cedrlek Fauntteroy, former eom-
n,ander OF the Kosciuszko Squadron
An entirely American unit of ayiators
who fought for Poland because they
believe in the people and idea of the
Republic of Poland. and close per-
sonai friend of Colonel George NJ
Crawford OF this city, who recently
returned from Europe. where he made
an cnviable record as an aviator with
the Allies and later as commander
and ace of the same American squad
ron. in a letter to the editor of the Ma
ton. gives some pertinent facts and
figures regarding the nation he and
his fellow Americans strove valiantly
L. assist in their struggles against the
Bolsheviki. Colonel Fauntleroy was
a visitor in Wilmington sometime ago
prior TO the return OF Colonel Craw~
ford and made many friends here.
Referring TO the kosciuszko Squad
ron he saws: II have buried three
American boys. from the squadron who
gave their lives. / have seen another
crippled for life. One of our best Is a
prisoner in Russia. Three of US bear
wounds received i'm the last offensive.
Our salaries range from SIS to Sl2 3
month i'm American money. We have
had hard timcs-veven for soldiers. We
are not soldiers of fortune; in fact,
several of us have lost all our savings
i'm maintaining the squadron. We
have had no patrons. We are not
souvenir collectors, no.oriety hunters,
or patrioteers. We have tried 10 im-
press Poland with the ideals of Amer
lea. and we think we have played the
game according.
For eighteen months-nost OF them
miserable heart-breaking months
have lived in the life of Poland and
have fought for the existence of the
new Republic side by side with Poles
Of all classes, province es. and derivations.
l have seen them in defeat and in vic
tory. in war, disease. misery, starvation
and play. / have dined with officers,
diplomats, the intelligentsia, and the
nobility. / have also billeted and eaten
with peasants and workmen. | have
dealt with bureaucats and politicians,
often with rage in my veins. l have
frequently felt paralyzed before in
surmountable difficulties placed in my
way by those who should have helped
TO solve them. / have struggled With
stupid. vain. and silly officials. All that
is true, though it is only one side of
the shield. Mentally and physically
! have received the hard knocks that
many others have received in trying
TO help the Polish nation in its first
years of trial.
There is starvation, devastation,
heartrending distress, thouss nds Of
pitiful underfed orphans, perhaps
hundreds of thousands of cases of
I II
there is in Poland that is pitiful and
pitiahle. Nobody else can know
Colonel Faunueroy deals at length
with the political phase of the ques-
iions confronting the Polish nation and
pictures the troubles confronting the
government in its struggles 10 estab-
lish and maintain 3 stable republic
that will be able to stand alone. He
further recounts the results Of the
sweeps made by the contending arm
les through that country during the
World War and what they left in their
wake. comparing them TO the vista
tion OF plague Of locusts over wheat
fields. He deals with the monetary
questions and shows how the country
was left after the great struggle. He
says, however, the Poles are very ef-
ficient and capable of governing them
selves. The balance Of power in the
Polish Diet now, he says, is among
the peasants and worlmen deputies
elevated by universal suffrage. A
peasant is premier and a successful
coalition government Is completing the
national constitution.
Poland has rebuilt and restored her
factories, but is bare of raw materials
because the country has no gold to
buy with and the worlds financiers
hesitate TO make the nation loans for
fear of another Boisheviki outbreak
There is wide unemployment which
VIII continue until raw materials can
be imported. Many things have to
be imported 10 aid the country in its
recovery and re-establishment and he
says it is a reflection on the nation
10 count its present troubles against
AZ and thus hinder the necessary
credits that would make possible the
opening up OF trade and imports.
Colonel Fauntleroy declared the Po-
hsh nation presents an historic pheno-
menon OF unexampled patience and
national sobriety and for her national
enemies TO destroy the Polish state
would mean the massacre Of a race of
men. women and children.
An Enemy 20 the King-teIIing Of