The Omaha morning bee., 1923-10-30
Haller
Sees Peace
Ahead
Polish Military Leader Cites
Progress of Country, Since
War. at Omaha c. of C.
Luncheon.
Charles Ray Also Talks

4 plea for cooperation between the
Polish and American chambers of COM
merce was made by Gen. Josef Haller,
eommander-in-c chief of the Polish
armies. at the public affairs commit
tee luncheon in his honor yesterday
noon at the Omaha Chamber Of Com
meree.
Reconstruction of Polish industry
and agriculture since the war formed
the principal theme OF his address on
Poland Today General Haller, a
swarthy. stately little man with
black goatee, read his address in Eng.
ish which he understands perfect
ly and speaks well bur with an ac-
cent. On being questioned at the
close of his paper he relapsed into
French.
At the close of the world war, said
the general, Poland was left absolute
ly devastated by three armies which
had marched back and forth over its
territory again and again, carrying
destruction in their wake. Since the
armistice was signed, Poland has been
engaged in four wars of its own. 1t
was inevitable that its commercial re-
covery has been slow.
Poland Faces Peace.
Yet today finds Poland in a posi-
ton of fair prosperity as compared
with that of the countries around 1t.
The number Of commercial treaties
II has made recently with surround.
ing nations is a sign of the return
of peace and the dawn Of prosperity.
Poland, said General Haller. is pri-
marily an agricultural country. Under
the new agrarian reforms its rich soil
Is being cultivated again and is pro-
ducing abundantly. These agrarian
reforms, continued the general. have
long been social necessity. Be-
fore the war the land was not pos
sessed properly. Practically all of IL
belonged TO the owners OF great es-
tates. while the farmers themselves
owned none.
Under the new system each farmer
Is guaranteed at least 20 acres for
his own. The soil now yields not
only enough for the people of the
country but enough TO export to
surrounding nations.
Great forests, which yield a good
share OF the timber used In central
Europe. together with oil wells. iron
deposits, natural gas. copper. zinc and
TN, were mentioned by the general
as the natural resources which. he
believes. mark out FOR Poland a great
industrial future. Development of
these resources Is now being pressed.
Again Make Art Goods.
Making or art furniture. one of the
great Polish industries nearly wiped
out by the war. has been revived. de.
eiared the general. Art silver and
gold bronze statusry is now being
shipped from Poland In considerable
quantities.
General Haller was introduced by
DR.. Ralph Luikart as the man who
organized the Polish army which
GROVE back the bolshevik attack in
1871 that at one time appeared TO
threaten all central Europe.
Charles Ray. who wa. also a guest
OF honor at the luncheon. gave side
lights on the making of his new pic.
ture. The Courtship of Miles stand
ish. upon which no has Just put six
months of historical research. He
went into the picture intending to
make IL pretty little love story.
based on Longfellow's famous poem.
said Mr.. Ray. But in pouring over
volumes Of the early history of Ply.
mouth colony. many OF which were so
precious that they could not be taken !
from the libraries where they are
found, Mr.. Ray became so fascinated
by the Pilgrim fathers that he de.
eided to so into the picture on a very
much larger scale.
L. :. History Neglected.
We have too few pictures on
American historical subjects de.
elared Mr. Ray. our feature pic. |
lures have all too often been based |
upon European history TO the neglect |
of our native land.
SO far We have had two great |
American historical pictures. The /
first was The Birth Of Nation |
dealing with reconstruction and the |
old kn klux klan. The second has |
been The Covered Wagon. based on |
the pioneer days here on the prairie. !
We think that the third is going TO |
he The courtship of Miles standlsh.
based on the adventures of the pn. |
srims. The picture viii show such |
things as the cutting down OF the |
first tree to be felled by an ak in this
country. the building OF the first
house, the first washing and 50 forth. +"
Mr. Ray defined the ideal motion |
picture as one that would both enter.
tain and enlighten the audience. I'VE
don't always live up TO our IDEAL he
said Sometimes we just entertain, |
and some times we don't even do
that
About GOO persons crowded the |
chamber rooms Tor tho luncheon. Gen
etal IlaIler was the guest II Could
Dioiz Yesterday afternoon at the
Hotel Fontencllo Inst evening
dinner was given AT the University
club by AR. Detz In honor Of the
general and his stan who left Omaha
Al ii.so last night