Evening star., 1926-05-08
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

time the government expected TO
| build additional railroads. WhiC h would
require their services.
Financial stringency followed. pre-
venting the plan of new railroad eX-
tension. yet the 1900 extra employees
have been kept on the pay roll. rather
than being turned into the mass Of
unemployed. The Socialists demand
that these men shall still be kept
In government employ, at the ex-
pense of general taxation.
/ The alternative is the dole TO the
! unemployed. Poland today. With its
| population of 100000 has less than
! 800, 900 out of employment: some are
receiving small doles and fed at soup
kitchens. That appears as ! small
percentage. but it is pointed out that
as 20 per cent Of the population lives
on farms. the entire Unemployment
is from the ranks of the so rer cent
3 900 0C--industrialists. EarVestS
will increase the demand for labor and
IL is expected that the relief will
nearly wipe out the necessity for
doles.
One OF the political issues is the
question Of legislation to compel
owners Of more than 100 or 200 acres
Of land to sell the surplus. with n
maximum limit on price. so that more
farms may be created, but there has
been no appropriation of land to be
compulsorily taken over by the gov
ernment for resale to peasants, in
spite of the predominance of the
peasant class in the Diet.
X i: x i:
With all the struggle which Poland
has had to face, not only throughout
the century when she was partitioned
and submerged. but since the World
| War renaissance, she has, today. built
her credit and prosperity upon tirmer
ground than have some OF the older
independent nations. For example.
the French franc Is deprecated to
less than q cents of American gold
value. while the Polish zylote, which
| has par value practically equal to
a franc. is quoted in international
exchange at about 10 cents. All for
| eIgn debts of Poland have been salts
| factorily settled.
She has solid wealth in her farms,
| 20 that there Is less fluctuation in
her money due to dependence upon
foreign markets for her industries.
The international monopoly of potash,
nepotiateti between France and Ger
MANY. will not long affect Poland. be-
cause she has a. vast amount or un-
| worked potasll in strip 70 miles
long, which has not yet had 10 per
cent Of development. She needs
| goo 900 tons Of potash annually and
In 1924 produced only s1,4S0 tons
the largest output hitherto. But in
| 1925 the production amounted to
17S,S03 tons. and in the immediate
future she will be producing a surplus
for export.
No longer is the demand for a for
eign loan popular; she will prefer to
develop her own wealth.
y n X *
The constitution establishes the
Roman Catholic Church, but protects
all other religions. Statistics indicate
| that the people are exceptionally
sober, for they consume an average
of only two liters Of alcohol per head
annually, as oontraSted with France,
2O.7 liters; Italy. 15.2; Great Britain,
1915, and Germany, go liters.
With the view to protecting home
| industry and preventing wasteful lux
urtes. the laws forbid the importation
of pies, sweets. rum and other spirits,
| liquors and wines Of all kinds, oysters
and other small fish, cosmetics and
| perfumes. Special permission to inn
mort such forbidden articles may be
| granted to citizens Of countries having
| treaty arrangements with Poland.
There is a general policy of high
| protection in the form of customs
| duties, both on imports and exports.
tCcpyr1ght. 1926. by Paul ". Collins,