THREE GREAT POLES

New Zealand Tablet, 22 February 1917, Page 56

THREE GREAT POLES

The death of Henryk Sienkiewicz recalled- to Mr. James Morgan, of the: Boston Globe, ah interesting conversation he had while>- stopping in Warsaw, Poland, some years ago. On the bridge spanning the Vistula he conversed with an aged Polish revolutionist,.- who might be mistaken for one of our own; Grand Army men.' He had lived in America for some years; after the uprising of 1863 in his own country. Mr. Morgan started kindly memories, by remarkingas he relates in the Globe:— "■''»..'■' ■,* «j /';■■.-,-' ~ 'No living American author lis" so much read in America as Sienkiewicz.' r ;,:.-,:' •";, • :;• A Pole ! A ' Pole !' he cried ~ with his old face aglow. ' And a dear friend of mine. " You must see his house here in Warsaw. He is our National leader, and our whole Nation united to give him a fine country estate on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of his literary labors.' .' . ; . No mere politician, no mere agitator could have served us as Sienkiewicz is serving us. .He has put philosophy and patience into our too fiery patriotism. He has taught us to wait, but to be getting ready all the time.' ••■>•" ' Paderewski—' , ;.-,:; . A Pole! A most loyal Pole. All the nations are at his feet, but there is only one nation in his heart. Three years ago we celebrated at Cracow the 500th anniversary of the defeat of the invading Germans at Tannenburg, or Grunewald, by.the Poles under King Jagello. All Poland was at Cracow to see Paderewski unveil the statue of Jagello, which was erected at his own expense; the monument cost him more than 100,000 dollars. You should have heard him speak, this pianist who can be an orator, too, when Poland is on his tongue. Not a bitter word fell from his lips." He had raised the monument, he said, not against any nation, and only for the love of his native land.v;.v v ; }- -- i". . ' Paderewski is of*Warsaw." : v. Here ,he . started, very, very poor. . And? now he is --always ready to share his great wealth with' us. Just to provide.a welcome; for the stranger, he /built the hotel where you are staying. You like it? Good! '.. some-'visitors tell us ;it has no superior in all Europe.' r " When I praised the hotel orchestra, he explained that Paderewski insisted it should be the best. J " - And whenever he himself : can come to Warsaw, the poorest people in town have, the' privilege of *" hearing him play in Philharmonic Hall. He charges the well-to-do the full price, but gives all the receipts to charity. Then he plays for the poor without any; charge at all' But for the Czar, he will not play;; Nor for the Kaiser either.' - ■ '// ' Chopin,' I ventured, ' was half French, was he not?' '. -' : ." -'';--; ; . , ;^; ;...\/:- ; >;i -:. >v'You can't cut a man in two like that,' he mildly reproved ' me. ' A man is what his heart is, and you saw the heart of Chopin down . under the- Church of the Holy. Cross? Well, it belongs to Poland; he gave it to ; her. J -■'■..-: -:■'"• "'l. :"-t-. 'Chopin's father was, born a Frenchman, but he was a : Pole 1 -all his long manhood. 7 He adopted our nationality, and he married a ; Pole. : r : As ..for', his great son, Frederick he was born a Pole he lived a Pole, and he died a Pole/-'Q Z[•--"-,■- •■; :