PEOPLE OF THE PERIOD

Southland Times, Issue 18840, 5 June 1920, Page 8

PEOPLE OF THE PERIOD

PEN PORTRAITS OF PROMINENT { PERSONALITIES. (By Criticus.)

0 -G No. 35 POLAND’S MILITARY HERO. An Austrian general us the main-spring of the Polish offensive against the 801-hc- '! . He is Poland’s military hero and it is evident that his hold upon popular favour in the restored country was stronger than that of her politico-artistic hero, Paderewski. Writing of this man, Joseph Pilsutlski, in the Melbourne Herald recently, It. R. Peacock gate an exceedingly informative picture of him and I make no apologies for quoting it in full:—“As a child 1 read that the high esc mountain in Australia was called Kosciusko, after Poland’s greatest hero. I have ever since felt an interest in Australia, and have studied her experiments and watched her developments wi hj great pleasure. I am anxious that knowledge of the two peoples should become more general in each other's country, and desire that closer friendship between us should develop. It is iir.oossible to say how much the namesake of Mount Kosciusko has influenced my life. He was such a great man. He worked so hanl, fought so bravely, and suffered so great'. l ' not only for Poland, but in the cause of liberty and freedom for the whole of humanity. Mis life has been a great inspiration to me." Such were the won,!.-: of Joseph Pulsudski. the Chief of State and strut g man of Poland, j during an interview I had with him just before I left Warsaw (.-ays Mr Peacock i. Pilsudski is undoubted!;, a very great and remarkable man, who has also worked hard, fought, bravely, and sulT'red greatly in the cause of human liberty. In early life he spent years in banishment in Siberia, and suffered other terms of imprisonment for his advocacy of freedom. During the war he was a general in the Austrian Army. He organised Polish troops, and when the dav of Poland’s emancipation came, he was the one man who had the military force available to make the peaceful reorganisation of the country possible. While rival political factions would have plunged the country into civil war, he held the controlling power and directed the election of a constituent assembly on a popular or universal franchise basis. W hen the representatives of th 1 people, duly elec ted, came together, he showed his true greatness and honesty o.f pur:>osc. With absolute despotic power and dictatorship in his hands, he went before the assembled delegates, gave an account of his stewardship, and laid his swnr 1 on the table, in token of his resigning Ids power into the hands of the people. He was loudly acclaimed as the nation’s idol. A new office was created, “Chief of State,” and he was unanimously elected to fill the unique position, as well as that of Commandcr-in-Chicf. Although fully recognising the people’s will as the supreme law, he realises the difficulties of building up the machinery of national government in the present abnormal times, and so has secured around him a group of great patriotic supporters, who form the core of the new Polish nation. '©tS'A'S'’s' When I was ushered into the reception room of Belvedere Palace, Pilsudski was standing in Lite middle of the handsome chamber to receive me, and after a cordial greeting led me to a comfortable settee, where we chatted for more than an hour. Although surrounded with the luxury of royalty, as the dignity o f his office requires, Pilsudski lives a very rigid life of extreme simplicity. He was dressed in dark trousers, and a plain soldiers tunic, without any stripes, stars, budges or marks of rank of anv dc-criplion. He creates rank and confers honours, but remains a simple soldier. Although a man of strong personality, he is not by any means as robust, or severe looking as his photographs represent him. He is (ifty-tv/o years of age, about medium height, with the slightest tendency to sloop, as if borne down with the cares ami burden of his important office, lie has brown ha;r, standing straight out from the head, and rut in the style of a lawyer's wig; a heavy moustache, and thick eyebrows, winch seem to run in a continuous line across both eyes without any break in the centre, standing out horizontally, funning a shade or verandah over a pair of pieicing grey eyes. IPs face frequently breaks into a kindly .smile, Naturally our conversation turned on the subied of Poland's futon; relations with Uusria. Poland has just bad another notable victor 1 / over the ]>r '-hevlk troop,-. t.ak;ji.r u great railway junction, cmting their mai". line of commuiucat 'on-', and .-wainr.;: v,.q .stores of munitions, railway rolling slock, ami many prisoners. w-,r,’v a “It must be rememberer!,” said Pibiulsk', ‘that Poland luis been tit war and in antagonism to Pu.-sm for lumai't",!' of rear.-. Mow wc must find a way to ebohsu old prejudices ami maim better relations po-i----I},)e It is (he only hope of Democracy. ! Before the war there were extensive ecoitlornic relations between th? two tountriep land i here wid be resumed and extended j 1 gcp. First, however, there must be a greet I change in Russia. It is not posable to have | any dealings with her present rulers. I | doubt the prospect of t’actr being able to j evolve anything better, and think there I There is no guarantee tbai the- army is real.;.; lout of the bauds or intluance ot t:ie o: i control. The army is now in ail dsenticD Abo same as hr for 1 , uni it is breaking lie, i and the soVmrs at ’ going hot. ■. Die only successes tiie Russian army hoi had nave ■been over the civilian population, and but docs not create enthusiasm nor viimukto. 1 patriotism. 1 do not think that i he army will have a deciding part in determining the future of UuM.-m. The people pi-;.;-pointed arid t.re hj ; ml leaders are «, esc lying the hj it and going ov; r to me ngii,. There is no doubt that some great change will take place -Lorry. It is not s ossibif to menlion names, I‘i.n are noi simim ntdy developed y.l, but the change m coming.” LD C> Turning to infernal affairs in Poland, and speaking on the, question of whether there would be development in agricultural or manufacturing industry in the immediate future, Pilsudski said that the tloveimuent had a’ sound policy for agriculture, to settle the pomde on the land and help them in their efforts for increase d production. Poland had to rely 100 much on imports from outside; she must be more would be some development in the manufacture of fabrics, but raw materials and transport were lacking at prevent, which retarded enterprise. He hoped they might gel wool, meat and other produce from Australia. ’ These wore badly needed in Poland, and Poland's timber exports would be ot advantage to .Australia. Agam lie rcfcticil to bis interest in Australia, and the magnificent part she had taken in lire war, declaring that .Australian troops were among the best soldier? engaged in any part of the convict. He had been quite recently reading more ia:r,ut them, and expressed his warm sympathy, keen interest, and high admiration for the great characters Australia was creating. ■S-OvS'S'S. Pilsudski has been largely the continuous constructive influence in the new Poland. The strong man behind the scenes, who rarely appears in public or makes a speech, but when he does hia words are well weighed, and they sink in deeply and influence greatly the direction of events. It is only a littic more than a year since the new nation secured her independence, yet in that time miracles have been worked. A new judicial system has been created for the whole nation, schools opened, and devclojted to a vast extent, railway system reorganised with inadequate and dilapidated rolling stock, an army of more than a million men organised, war curried on on three fronts, thousands of square miles and millions of population reiioued from the Bolsheviks,

higher education developed and four universities either established or re-opened after being suppressed for a century, typhus and other diseases fought, three peoples formerly living under different monarchies united into one republic under one system, and the finances of the nation handled with a courage and determination that sets an example to older countries. Pilsudski, recognising the imperative importance of education, has developed within the army a department that will be of inestimable value to tba nation. Poland has the rcj?est standing army in Europe to-day, and Pilsudski is taking advantage of his control over this enormous body of men to use it for educational purposes. The actual military duties will be reduced to a minimum as soon as possible, and the maximum time given to education, both literary and technical, so that Poland’s rise to influence and power will be on a sound, intelligent and democratic foundation. PiLsudski will direct the energies of his machine more along the line of a struggle against ignorance than for military efficiency. 1