Evening star., 1925-10-01
POLAND RECEIVERS
FROM WAR RAVACES
"Comes Back" With People
Showing Viri|e Capacity in
Many Industries.
by PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News.
PARIS. France, September 5.-No
one can travel observantly in eastern
Europe without being impressed by
the great and growing importance of
Poland in the new political structure
of the world. Five European states
nave rank of great powers-Britain,
france, Germany, Italy and Russia
Among the secondary European states
Poland undoubtedly holds first place
1t occupies, indeed. an intermediate
position between the great and the
smaller nations of Europe. ranking
sixth in most respects, but third in
arabic land. and is well to the fore
ground through the significance of its
political role. It's population already
2S.000,O0O increases at the rate OF
100000 yearly. Its interior consolida-
tlon Is progressing and its diplomatic
activities are considerable Vigorous
in spirit. rich in resources and in in
telllSence. populous and progressive.
II promises to make it's voice heard in
the councils of the nations.
Was Victim of Propaganda.
Opinions held abroad concerning
roland have been led astray frequent
ly by the fact that the resurrected
state has had against it from the first
q puissant propaganda-that of the
Germans, the British and the Jews all
OF whom have tended to oppose or to
misrepresent 1t. The assertions of this
propaganda have been in the main
that the Poles are incapable of self
government. that they are imperial
islic and Will be brought to ruin by
the large foreign minorities they have
sought to absorb and that their situa-
ton between Russia and Germany
places them permanently at the
mercy of those unfriendly powers
But Poland's strategic situation and
Its interior political situation are not
as dark as they are usually drawn
AS for the alleged Polish incompetency
and incapacity for f-government,
NeaiS quite contrary traits.
Five years ago, during the war
with the bolSheviStS, l saw the coun
try and the people at close hand. Dis
sociated by 130 years of allen rule.
shattered by four years of military
occupation and ruinous war. the Poles
had not had time to improvise any
thing except an army. All their en-
ergies were bent toward safeguarding
their independence and establishing a
tenable frontier against the red incen.
diaries.
Country Was Virtually Wrecked.
For the rest, the Poles were desti.
tute. Confusion and incompetency
We're rife. Famine stalked through
the land. Pestilence slew thousands.
Productive industry was paralyzed.
The railroads scarcely operated. Work
in the fields was scarcely carried on.
Shops were empty. The cities were
mournful and half deserted. An inn
preston of tragic but heroic gloom
overshadowed everything.
In Poland today no traces of war
remain. Despite lively interior politi-
cal differences, the people are inspired
by a fervent and optimistic patriotism.
One finds an organized country with
competent officials, an army of good
officers and splendid troops, we'll
armed, we'll organized and capable of
putting 100000 men into the field.
Material Improvements Seen.
Good trains run frequently and
regularly over a network of railways.
Industries, reorganized, are beginning
to thrive. "A courageous fiscal re-
form. carried out without foreign as
sistance. has put Polish currency
practically on a gold basis, but has
made the cost OF living incredibly
high. Still, fod Is relatively plenti-
full and in good years there Is grain
for export. Famine and pestilence
have vanished like nightmares.
'
Lubin, LodZ. Lwow, Cracow, Poznan.
Wilma and Warsaw swarm with pros
perouslooking people who live in an
atmosphere of liberal democracy. Stu
dents of both sexes fill the large uni
versities to overfiowing. Shops are
we'll stocked with goods. Streets are
well kept and buildings are refur-
nished. An elegant society Of tall
men and handsome women goes to
midnight balls in the, large hotels.
Newspapers and periodicals circulate
in profusion. And everywhere are
book stores filled not with cheap
novels but with the very best works
Of science and general literature. In
Polish, German and French. The
Poles are decidedly an intellectual
people. They occupy even now
seventh place among the nations in
literary productivity.
Warsaw. the capital. with 1000, 900
inhabitants, promises soon to become
one of the chief cities of the world
All these manifestations of vigor-
Gus cultural and social activity come
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