POLAND'S HOUR HAS STRUCK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 131, 20 February 1918, Page 5

POLAND'S HOUR HAS STRUCK

STIRRING APPEAL TO THE SOK6LS

THE NEW ARMY OF PATRIOTS

[Mr. Jaraos Macintosh,. Consular agent for France, has received, through tho French Vice-Consul at Auckland (Alonsieur llippeau), the following stirring appeal to tho Polish Sokols of America. Recent developments in the Russian situation, especially in their relation to Poland, give to the appeal morethan passing interest.] COMRADES! "Tho hour so patiently longed for by tho whole nation, and especially by our Order of Sokols, the hour solemnly predicted by our national prophets, the hour of armed action on • behalf of a free and united,country, has struck at last. Thanks to the boundless devotion and th« bloodshed by the Polish Volunteers in the French Army, thanks to the indefatigable efforts of Comrade Weneelas Gasiorowski, President of the Union of Sokols in Western Europe, as also the untiring selfsacrifice of Colonel Adam Mokejewski of the Trench Army, who, with the help of influential Frenchmen sincerely devoted to the-Polish cause, has obtain-, ed the support of the French Government at the opportune moment and the confirmation of. French sympathies in Favour of our unfortunate country, thanks to all those united efforts, a Polish Army is being raised, an independent State army, under the protection and with the. consent of France, tho United States, England, Russia, and Italy. This army which ewears allegiance to an independent Poland only, placed under the orders of a Polish staff and enjoying all tho rights of a State army, is now the best guarantee that the anti-German coalition recognises our rights to a complete independence—it removes all our fears and confers on our nation the right to make its voice heard in the Peace Conference. COMRADES! "With the boundless joy that we feel, we, tho Directors of the isokols Union, after this long and weary time of waiting, to be able to announce to you this news, which will bo an era in tho history of our nation—for il is the pledge of the end of a captivity of nearly a century and a half—we give you by this appeal the order so impatiently longqd for: TO ARMS!

"We call you to arnis against tho wrong done to our nation for the last two centuries, and which has gone unpunished, agaiust the underhand, treacherous, and savage torture inflicted upon it, against the Germanisation of Silesia and Greater Poland, against the expropriation of our land, the fustigation of our children for refusing to give up saying their prayers in their mother tongue, tho murder of these same children, tho outrages committed against our sisters and mothers by the German and Austrian soldiery, against a captivity extending over more than a century and a half, and >vhich has not been avenged yet. It is against all this that wo protest and call you TO ARMS!

"Every man able to hold a gun and to endure- the fatigues of military life must enrol in the national ranks and march under tho standard of the White Eagle towards the Field of Glory and towards the final and victorious struggle for a united and independent Poland; We are convinced that there is not a faint heart amongst our Sokols. For the last twenty-five years they have been training as citizens of Poland in view of the struggle for independence, ai]d have had to contend with all sorts of obstacles and difficulties; heroic and chivalrous, they will answer this appeal with all the dignity of a nascent nationalism.

"TO ARMS, then, grey legions of Sokols! Onwards to the fiery battle, onwards to the new Grumwald that will bring about the resurrection of our country and lead her children to eternal honour and glory.

"On to the Germans! On to the Germans, all living Poles This day will decide their death or yours 1 Full faith in our strength and in the holiness of our cause, convinced that from our efforts and miseries will rise an independent Poland, we will rush on to' the fight and we shall win!" HAIL! The Managing Committee of 'the Sokols :— T. A. STARZYNSKI, President. J. PANCYK, Vice-presideut. T. SAMULSKI, Secretary. ■ FR, DZIOB, Chief. T. JASIOKORSKI, Editor. A. CURZZYTBK, Treasurer. J. ZAUCHA, Head of the Scouts. Presidents of Section: F. S. SZYBATKA. S. MRUCZEK, ST. KALINOWSKI.