WORK OF THE POLES.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13747, 9 April 1915, Page 2

WORK OF THE POLES.

II Papers to hand by a recent mail contain glowing tributes to the generous and heroic sacrifices of the 'Poles in helping the Russians in their campaign in Poland. The papers urge the Russian nation to assist the unfortunate Polish people, whose land has been razed to the ground through the war, and whose men, women, and children have been murdered because of their eagerness in assisting their Russian brothers. Russia has her hands full fighting. Austrian®, Germans, and Turks, and cannot at present do much for the distressed Poles. However, various committees have been formed for the relief of Polish refugees, who have been flocking into Russia in millions. ' When the Germans threatened Dombrova Gornicza (a Polish Newcastle) situated on the frontier, the Russians were forced into a hurried retreat, abandoning the trains and engines on the railway track. The coal miners on their own initiative disabled the waggons and the engines, hiding the pieces under the ground. On arrival, the Germans discovered that they could not use the trains at all. They questioned and threatened the miners, but received no satisfaction, being told Mi at all they knew was that the Russians did the damage. When the Germans evacuated the place, and the Russians, now1 reinforced, advanced, they found the trains fixed up, and ready for use. We read further how the Polish peas- ' ants twice destroyed the bridges on the River Warta, thus checking the | German advance, and also how they were caught and sent to Sosnovies and | •executed. Others were ordered to enI i-er the German Army. They refused to obey, and were shot 021' the spot. Numbers were sent at the point of the bayonet to German camps as servants, ! being invariably shot for refusal. Polish peasants in Austrian Poland— Galicia—many a time saved Russian soldiers' lives. An officer reports: "Being with eight men isolated from my army corps, and surrounded by a large fore© of the enemy in a forest, I thought the end had come, and made preparation for the final battle and death. We were in the vicinity of a meadow, where peasants' horses and cows were grazing. The peasants offered to assist us, and without losing time buried our swords, ammunition, and even saddles, hid us amongst piled-up timber, and let our horses loose with their stock. The Austrians arriving on the spot sought information as to the whereabouts of the Russians. The peasants pointed to some distant place, and tho Austrians galloped away. Meanwhile the pea- < sants dug out the saddles, helped us to harness the horses, and enabled us to escape and rejoin our regiment. The peasants were all arrested."