POLISH MONARCHISTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19470, 28 October 1926, Page 9

POLISH MONARCHISTS.

MEETING WITH PREMIER, PILSUDSKI AS KING. PROPOSITION DISCUSSED. • By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 10.5 p.m.) . Sun. WARSAW. Oct. 2G. Great excitement followed a meeting in an old castle in the* forest of Nieszawa , between 100 members of the Polish Monarchist Party and the Premier, Geni eral Pilsudski. i | It is believed that the question of crowning Pilsudski as King of Poland was ■ discussed. Joseph Pilsudski, the Polish general and Premier, was born at Zolow, near Vilna, in July, 1867. His family belonged to the Lithuanian nobility. While he was at Kharkoff University he became involved in the Socialist movement. In 1888 ho was implicated in an attempt on the Tsar and was sent to Siberia for five years. On his return he soon took a leading position in the Polish Labour movement alongsido Wojciechowsky. In 1901 he was again arrested; but escaped and went to Cracow, whence he worked against Russia and founded the militant section of the Polish Socialist Party. On the outbreak of the war he fought in South Poland on the Austrian side as commander of tho Ist Brigade, of the Polish Legion. During the occupation of Poland by the Central Powers he attempted to start a Polish national movement with an independent army, but resigned his command when the Austrian Government would only agree to the Polish Legion being converted into ' a Polish auxiliary corps. He was, however, elected in January, 1917, to the provisional council of the Polish State, which had been proclaimed by the Central Powers. There he endeavoured to unite 1 all the Polish parties on a programme , of complete independence. Early in July, 1917, he resigned along with the other advocates of independence and, as he was 1 said to have incited the Polish Legionaries to refuse to take the oath of obedience,, he was arrested by the Germans and interned at Magdeburg. After the collapse of the Central Powers lie made a triumphal return to Warsaw, where the Regency Council, which had remained in existence after the occupation ceased, granted him dictatorial powers so that he might set up a national Government. Pilsudski then called a Polish National Asesmblv, which met on November 14, 1918, and entrusted the former member of the Austrian Reichsrat, Moraczewski, with the formation of a Cabinet. In this Government Pilsudski himself was War Minister, but on December 18 he was elected President of the Polish Republic. In that capacity he had a decisive influence on the constitution of the new State and especially of its army, which honoured him in 1920 by presenting ! him with a marshal's baton. In consequence of the non-success of the campaign against the Soviet in April, 1920, his posii tion, which, quite apart from that, had been strongly attacked by the parties of the Right, was temporarily shaken. But 1 he retained his popularity with the masses and the army until his retirement on December 17, *1922. Declining re-election, he became Chief of the. General Staff, but when on May 29, 1923, M. Witos formed his second Cabinet, he resigned, being succeeded by General Haller, and went to live at his modest country house at Sule- , jowek, near Warsaw. Thenco he attacked the Government in speeches, pamphlets and open letters to tho press. The greater part of the army demanded that he shonld he restored to the active list. His opponents were chiefly those ex-Austrian officers and their adherents whom he had bitterly offended in earlier days. On March 19, 1926, the day of his patron saint, great demonstrations in his favour took place all over the country. Over 5000 officers appeared at Sulejowek to offer him their good wishes. Tho warrant officers presented the army with an aeroplane christened "Pilsudski," and as the result of a special "Pilsudslti" recruiting campaign on behalf of the riflo clubs which he bad founded the membership was raised from 60,000 to 120.000. When M. Witos again became Premier nn May 10, 1926, Pilsudski headed a military revolt and overthrew him within five dflvs, and also turned out President Wojciechowsky. On Mav 31, 1926, Pilsudski was elected President at the first V>nllot by 292 votes against 193 votes for Bninski. hut he declined office., and on ■Tune 1 Dr. Mosziohi. whom he had recommended. was elected. In the Bartel Cabinet. formed after the coup, Pilsudski was Minister of War. M. Bart-el's Cabinet resigned on October 1 and Pilsudski formed a new Ministry.