Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04
POLAND'S
EASTERNMOST ACHE
Disturbances in Country
Held Under Mandate
Present Problem.

Poland has declared a state Of siege
In Eastern Galicia as q result of dis
turbances in Lwow Uemberg). Tar
now and other cities OF the region.
Taking advantage Of the Polish up
heaval centering in Warsaw, Ukrain-
ians in Galicia called mass meetings
to demand the convocation of a ma
ttonal assembly.
''Galicia Is Poland's easternrost
ache" says a bulletin of the National
Geographic Society from its headquar.
tiers here. But twinge in Galicia
Is more serious than the growing
pains that the newly re-creased re-
public experiences on other borders
Silesia, the DanZig corridor, Russia
Lithuania and at Teschen, CZecho-
SloVakia.
Gift With String to II.
Eighteen years from now there
must be a decision on a major opera.
ton for Eastern Galicia. When the
League of Nations decided to Poland
this block of land on the north TANKS
of the Carpathian Mountains it tied a
string to the contract. Galtcia was
named 1914 the year for a plebiscite
to decide Galicia's fate. Western
Galicia, centering about kracow, is
more strongly Polish, so II was at
tached to the republic without reser
walton.
Where and what is Eastern
Galicia? First of all 1t was the big
gest bite in Austria's 500 miles on the
rim Of the Poland pie neatly divided
and entirely consumed by Russia
Germany and Austria in 1875. Today
Eastern Galicia Is a rough rectangle
OF approximately 10000 square miles
If 1t were desirable and possible to in
corporate Eastern Galicla in the
United States. we could insert 1t in
place of Vermont and New Hamp
shire. 4 better fit could be made
area for area, landscape for landsca pc
by planting it in the western half OF
Ohio.
Ruthenians Are Farmers.
"Lwow Is the capital of Galicia. Il
lies 200 miles southeast of Warsaw
and, like Warsaw, it is strongly Polish
in its population. What of LwoW
is not Polish Is mostly Jewish. The
Ckrainians or. more properly, the
Ruthenians, comprise a majority OF
Galicia's population, but do not con
troll the cities. They are farmers.
Most newspaper accounts anG
many books by travellers into Galicia
use the names Ukrainian and Ruthen
ian INTERCHANGEABLE. This is correc
and yet incorrect. A Ruthenian is &
Ukrainian. Ukraine is that vas
steppe of southern Russia stretching
in endless rolling and treeless prairie
from the Caspian and the Black Sea
west to Poland. On these grassland:
live the Ukrainians, quite different
from the melancholy and more stolit
north or White Russians. They mum
Der about 40.000,0O0. Galicia is ths
western outpost of the Ukraine.
Nothing is more eloquent Of the
history Of Galicia than the fact tina
It's oldest shrines and buildings are
underground. Everything above
ground is relatively new, because in
vader has stepped on the heels Of in
vader. What they did not burn they
that Nature set aside Galicia fol
crops, but history shows that it's chic
utility has been as a battlefield.
Shrines in Salt Mines.
I'm the galleries of the salt mines
at Weiliczka, safe from shot anC
shell, are many old shrines of Galicia
These mines have been operated sine,
the eleventh or twelfth century. Their,
are now seven levels Of galleries. TIL,
mines are a veritable city which neet
be deserted only for sleeping quarters
There is a magnificent crystal sal
ballroom. 800 feet long and 200 fee,
high, where the village celebrates fes
rivals. 1t is lighted by chandeliers O
huge glittering salt crystals. st
Stanislaus and st. Clement stand Xix,
Lots wife-solid salt. The subter
ranean Cathedral of st. Anthony dates
back to the seventeenth century
There are lakes in which ferries nj,
back and forth and a complete res
taurant. A pony-drawn railway sys
tenn serves the mines themselves. AL
this is the safest place in Galicia-
below ground.
Possession of Galicia is compli
Gated by the rise Of a new resource
In the world. The curious black sub
stance which the Ukrainian peasant
used for years to lubricate the groan
ing axles of their farm carts tn,
world has now raised to high estate
Oil seepage pointed the way to pa
troleum discoveries in Galicia. Al
though the field has not produced an,
remarkable gushers, many companies
now employ experienced Polish work
men to produce the 5,O00,0O0 barrels
plus per year. They place Polan,
eighth among the petroleum. produc
ing countries Of the world"