HEROIC POLES.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2429, 7 April 1915, Page 3

HEROIC POLES.

HELPING THE RUSSIANS

STRIKING STORIES

lapers to hand by a recent mail contain glowing tributes to the generous and heroic sacrifices of the I'cles in helping the Russians in their campaign in Poland. The papers urge the Russian nation to assist tho unlcrtuuate Polish people, whose land has been razed to the ground through the war, and whose men, women, and children have been murdered because of their eagerness in assisting their Eussian brothers.

Russia has her hand 6 full fighting Austrians, Germans, and 'Turks, and cannot at present do much lor the distressed Poles. However, various com-: mittee3 have been formed for the relief of Polish refugees, who have been flocking into Russia in millions.

"The terrible war against the common foe has united two great Slavonic nations—Russia and Poland," eays M. Petroff, a Russian writer in an article in the "Russkoye Slavo" (the Russian Word). He relates his impressions and experiences during his frequent visits to Poland, and draws an interesting picture of the people. "I always baa a profound love and admiration for the cultured, noble, and heroic Polish nation, by misfortunes, but stoical and infinitely proud in her sufferings. Tho Russians were always most hospitably treated by the Poles, and no Russian could ever forget the kindness of his Polish hosts. However, every time I was leaving Poland m.v heart was breaking. I felt that, although I woi my friends' hearts, an impassable barrier was between us, the door behind which was the shrine of the Polish soul, which was closed and tabooed to me."

Another writer, M. Philospoff, describes the enthusiastic reception of Russian troops in Poland. When passing through the streets of ( Warsaw, ladies were showering flowers from balconies. Others stood in the streets distributing cigarettes to the soldiers. Crowds were following the troops, wishing them luck and a safe return. "Our officers and soldiers were often moved to tears by tho magnanimity of Poles, who, careless of German vengeance, assisted the Russian army with unparalleled self-sacrifice."

When the Germans threatened Dombrova Goriiicza (a Polish Newcastle) situated on tho frontier, the Russians were forced into a hurried letreat, abandoning the trains and engines on the railway track. The coal miners on their own initiative disabled the wagons and the engines, hiding the pieces under the ground. On arrival, the Germans discovered that they could not use the trains at all. They questioned and threatened the miners, but received no satisfaction, being told that all they knew was that the Russians did .the damage. When the Germans evacuated the place, and the Russians, now reinforced, advanced, they found the trains fixed up, and ready for use.

We read further how the Polish peasants twice destroyed the bridges on tho River Warta, thus checking the Gorman advance, and also how they were caught and sent to Sosnoviec and executed. Others were ordered to enter the German Army. They refused to obey, and were shot on tho spot. Numbers were sent at the point of tho bayonet to German camps as servants, being invariably shot for refusal. Polish peasants in Austrian Poland— Galicia —many a time saved Russian soldiers' lives. An officer reports: "Being with eight men isolated from my army corps, and surrounded by a largo force of the enemy in a forest, I thought tho end had come, and made preparation for the final battle and death. We were in tho vicinity of a meadow, where peasants' horses and cows were grazing. The peasants offered to assist us, and without losing time buried our swords, ammunition, and even saddles, hid us amongst piled-up timber, and let our horses loose with their stock. The Austrians arriving on the spot sought information as to whereabouts of the Russians. The peasants pointed to some distant place, and the Austrians galloped away. Meanwhile the peasants dug out the saddles, helped us to. harness the horses, and enabled us to escape and rejoin our regiment. The ■peasants were all arrested."

The papers quote many other instances of help given by the population. The Poles have their own army of 300,000 men in Russian Poland.