PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3397, 23 April 1919, Page 57

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

POLAND THAT WAS, I wonder can I add, " and Poland that is to be " ? We have been having cables referring to landing Polish and other troops at Danzic. Do-you know what the significance of these cables are? I do not; but the Poles want to resurrect the kingdom that was before the three neighbouring Powers, Russia, Prussia, and Austria, fell upon her and took advantage of her disorganised state to rend her in pieces. When I was a boy a recitation in vogue was "The Downfall of Poland," by

Thomas Campbell, the writer of many historical and patriotic pieces. It is written in iambric pentameter verse, eight verses to the stanza. It commences: O sacred Truth! thy triumph ceased awhile, And Hope, thy sister, ceased with thee' to smile, The stanza ending : Tumultuous horror brooded o'er hex van, Presaging wrath to Poland!—and to manl The second commences: Warsaw's lost ohamipion, from her heights surveyed, Wide o'er the fields, a waste of ruin laid— And concludes: Rise, fellow-men 1 our country yet remains, By that dread name, we wave the sword on nigh; And swear, for her to livel—rwith her to die! The third opens with the leader standing on the ramparts surrounded by his trusty and undismayed warriors, and we get the graphic picture. Do you ever, those who nave an imaginative pencil, try to draw a graphic scene? Low murmuring sounds along their banners fly— Revenge, or Death! the watchword and reply! There pealed the notes omnipotent to charm, And the loud tocein tolled their lost alarm 1

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There are six stanzas to complete the picture; Wt, if I remember rightly, we use<( to stoij at the fourth, -which I'll give in full, because in parte it is a graphic picture of what has happened during tin past rthd more: In VFiin—alas I in vain, ye gndl&nt few, From rank to Tank your volley'd thundet flow: Oh! bloodiest picture in the book of time, Sarmatia fell—unwept—without a crime! Found not a generous friend/— a pitying foe—« Strength in her arms, nor mercy in her wool Dropped from hear nerveless grasp, the shattered epcar— Closed her bright eye and' curbed her high career:—» Hope, for a season, bade the world, farewell, And Fuebdom shrieked, —as Kosciusko fell I Kosciusko 1b a prominent figure in Polish history, and the following taken from Harmsworth's Encyclopedia will b« interesting:—"Tadeusz Kosciusco (17461817), Polish general and statesman, born . . . in Lithuania: went to America, where he served under Washington and became the friend of Lafayette [both fought against us in the American War of Independence]; then, returning to Poland (1786), he assisted Poniatowjski in the war with Russia, distinguishing himself at Dubienka. On Russia's annexation of Poland he retired to Leipzig. On th« outbreak of the revolution in 1794 h« raised the standard of independence at Cracow as Dictator of Poland, defeated the Russians at Raclawice, defended Warsaw for two months, but was defeated and taken prisoner . . . though released by the Emperor Paul (1796). Aftei vain endeavours to obtain the indepen* dence of Poland, he settled in Switzerland, where he died. He was buried at Cracow." He died in April, 1817. His was a most interesting life, and he had a most chequered career. From, hi« youth he commanded attention. Shortly before his death he emancipated hia serfs, and 'maintained schools on hia estates for the education of the serfs' children. What he had seen in America, no doubt, was a liberal education. If an Encyclopaedia Britannica is in your neighbourhood, get it and read his lifa as outlined in it. It reads like •> romance. By the by, get your map of Australia, and you will see Mount Koßciusco at tha north-west end of the straight line running as the boundary line between Victoria and New South Wales, and joining up the ooast with the head waters of the Murray. In the acomp anying map you will notice how Danzic is an important town, and how ports are necessary to a reborn Poland. You will notice, too, that East Prussia before 1772 was very small, and that the conquest of Poland, to the west of it, linked up East Prussia and Pomerania, and made the conquest of Silesi* easy. Notice, too, the familiar name* Brest-Litovsk, Przmysl, Lemburg, War-i saw. and so on—all in Poland proper—

made famous or infamous during the present war. . •

Well, I'll 6top to-day, and give an out* line of Poland's history next week. Study the map, and cut it out for refer* ence. It will come in handy more than once in the future. The . map is reproduced from "A Short History of Modern Europe," by Eugene Lewis Hasluck, 8.A., F.R.Hist.S. (University of London Press, Ltd.). It takes the period from the " French Revolution to the Great War," but gives an outline in.some cases going farther back. There are many books outlining European history, and the one I am using more perhaps than any other is "A History of Europe," by A. J. Grant, Professor of History in Leeds University. It goes back almost indefinitely: but at times is fairly full. A feature in it is a fine series of maps, 10 of which are coloured. If ever we wanted to read history oomi prehensively w© want to do it now. It ia only then that one realises the futility of Peace Conferences and Leagues of Nations. The League of Nations we want Is League of the English-speaking Nations, subsidiary to which, we might- take in France.