RULE IN POLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 85, 7 October 1933, Page 5

RULE IN POLAND

ELECTING THE SENATE

A NEW CONSTITUTION

Ignace Jan Padcrewski will-not bJf, able to vote for members .of the; Polish ■; Seiiato under the new Constitution' drafted by the Pilsudski bloc for action -: at the autumn Parliamentary session,,, writes Jerzy Szapiro in'tho' "New,: York Times." He is not among the 30,000 ■ chosen : citizens, including holders of ..tho Miliv tary Cross, Virtui Militari, and the In* dependence Cross, who will elect two* thirds of the new Senates-members, the remainder to bo appointed by th» •• President. ■..-;.. The omission of Mr. Padcrcwski'* name is mentioned by the Opposition1 as the most striking example of th» absurdity of the proposals tending t» create a new aristocracy with icxcep' tional political privileges. Altogether there are 6000 holders of -~ the Virtui Militari' Cross who. won the deporation in tho World War and more than 16,000. officers holding the Inde- ! pendence Cross who were honoured for services rendered, in Poland's' struggles for national freedom as members of revolutionary organisations in, pre-war Russia or secret armed . forces during" the German occupation. Most of th» men on the list are between'the agei^ of 30 and 50. ' ' '. .i. ■- • " These chosen 30,000 will choose most of the first Senate under the; new Constitution, a Senate having equal power* with ' the Scjm, elected by.: popularvote. Tho Scnato will then 'appoint more of the "best citizens" to this moral and spiritual aristocracy. KULED BY SOLDIERS. Poland's present rulers are Marshal Pilsudski's soldiers. His -wartime leg* ionaires have always- regarded them* selves as^ the elite of modern. ;Poland,l its masters and leaders b.est suited t»j govern by virtue of their risks and)' sacrifices in the dark; hours of,.]Fplish-j history when an independent: Poland1 '• seemed a romantic, dream. Marshal Pilsudski's'coup seven years i ago established their factual-riile ant^l they; now want"to be legally and con*| stitutionally acknowledged as the nai' tion's test. ..■'". ..... This idea of government by the cho»en! is intended as a .'corrective,.of, democra*' tic Tule, ,and supporters of-.-<tbo pro* jected constitutional changes^ Vdeclarel'. that government'by.the\chpsen, be it> Fascism, ( Bolshevism, ;or Hitlerisni, is now almost general in Europe. '■'■ ' ; TnPoland, however^ the ideais based: not oh party rule, and citizens'of high , ''moral standing,'' regardless ,of race,'origin or party; membership,' will have;;. a chance to belong to the:'.'best citl*'; zens." ■ j -.■■'• -' : .■' '' '•■■ ■• 1 The regime's real ob.iectiye.injnakin^r this unique proposal, the Opposition declares, is to perpetuate itself '-'forever. Conservative groups, in the Pilsudski': bloc are also embarrassed- asijinost of i their members do!,not belong':^to thaf' chosen'categories..' , . ; «

As,: a two-thirds majollty .is: essen«i .tian.. in _ tho Sejm for constitutional: j changes and.the Government.blpe:toni"' inands' but little :inore-ithan! li'alf the1' votes in the Lp^vcr; House," • it1 cwill bo ', interesting to see how the- 'new^propoi salis1 made into.law. ■ :,'-,:■