As a result of recent cablegrams from Poland, telling of the arrest of Brigadier General Pilsudski and W. Sieroszewski, and the disarming and interning of the Polish legions because they refused to swear allegiance to the German emperor, the central administration of the Polish National Alliance called a mass meeting [held yesterday] in Pulaski Park in protest of the old and new lawlessness of the Germans on Polish soil. The weather was fine, and the meeting drew a crowd of about three thousand people, who listened to the speeches that were made with calm and dignity.

The meeting was opened with a short address by A. T. Mazur, member of the board of directors of the Polish National Alliance and chairman of the committee in charge. He invited the representatives of organizations to the platform and named the undersigned secretary.

First on the program was the splendid rendition of "Jeszcze Polska Nie Zginela" 2(Poland is not yet Lost) and "The Star-Spangled Banner" by the well-known Philaret Choir, under the direction of Rybowiak. During the singing, the people in the audience arose and bared their heads.

The first and principal speaker was A. Czarnecki, of the Chicago Daily News, a member of the board of education, who had the opportunity of witnessing at first hand the distressful situation of the Polish people during the present war and the inconsideration with which the Poles are treated by the German authorities.

Czarnecki said: "Cablegrams have brought us news of the interning and disarming of the Polish legions because of their refusal to become brothers-in-arms of the Prussians. At the news that czardom had ceased to exist in Russia, these legions had refused to fight against the free Russian nation which had expressed itself in favor of a free Poland, having been formed to fight czardom and czarist imperialism. Removal from power of the czar and his councillors removed the cause for war with Russia. Germany offered territory to Poland, 3but only those provinces from which the Russians had been driven, without any reference to other provinces, and for this they demanded the use of a Polish army, not for Polish objectives but for their own purposes.

"Those who created the Polish legions and led them, such as Pilsudski, Bandurski, and Sieroszewski, had as their aim a Polish army that would fight for and win Polish freedom. When the highest executive of this great Republic [the United States], President Wilson, declared that Poland must be free and united, and when the United States entered the war a short time later to fight for the rights of oppressed nations, the leaders of the military movement in Poland wanted to make of these legions a Polish army that would fight for Poland. The Polish legionnaires refused to take the oath of allegiance to Germany, knowing that this would be a violation of all the most sacred feelings in Poland; it would be a curse upon the nation. For this they were arrested and imprisoned. Such an act is a violation of international law and should be labelled as violence."

The speaker then cited examples of how the Germans treated Polish women and 4girls whose husbands and fathers had gone to Germany to work in factories in order to help their families exist. "Under German care," the speaker continued, "women went insane, while girls committed suicide, unable to stand the disgrace to which they were subjected. In the face of such crimes, what are we to do? The duty of every Pole in this country is to seize arms and to fight the Prussian in order to avenge the crimes perpetrated on defenseless Polish women and children. Whoever cannot fight ought to help in some other way, by purchasing Liberty bonds, or by enlisting in the Red Cross, so as to show that we have faith in this cause, and that the cause is ours also."

The speaker was rewarded with thunderous applause. When the applause subsided, the Philaret Choir sang "Modlitwa" [Prayer].

The next speaker was Mrs. M. Milewski, member of the board of directors of the Polish National Alliance, who said: "We are gathered here today to express our loyalty to the United States and to protest against the brutal crimes committed by the Prussians. Our great national hero, Kosciusko, said that the first step 5to freedom is to feel free, the first step to victory is to know your strength. And for us the time has arrived when it is our duty to fight--fight until the Prussian falls before the civilized world and the star of freedom shines above Poland. Polish mothers! It is your duty, though perhaps a difficult and unpleasant one, to encourage your sons to enlist in the army, to give them courage to fight for the sacred rights of freedom. 'Die, or return free!' should be the motto of our heroic Polish mothers. Polish women should be active at so crucial a time as this. Nurses are needed to care for the wounded. A new course for nurses will be opened next fall, and Polish women and girls should take advantage of it.

"The Prussian has offered us a small piece of Poland, like the rich man who tosses the crumbs from his table to a beggar. We do not want such a favor, and solemnly protest against the crimes of the Prussians. May that protest reverberate throughout this country and re-echo in our homeland. Let us stand faithfully at President Wilson's side, let us not spare sacrifice and effort for the cause of freedom, and let us believe that, just as after the downfall 6of Poland Prussia arose, so shall Poland now arise upon the ruins of Prussia." (Applause).

The Philaret Choir then sang "Wspomienia" [Memories], following which J. Przyprawa, editor of Dziennik Zwiazkowy read the following resolution:

"We, the Poles of Chicago, gathered here in mass meeting at Pulaski Park on August 5, 1917, under the auspices of the Polish National Alliance, having considered all the cruelties which the Prussian government of occupation in Warsaw has perpetrated upon the Polish people.

"Whereas, Thanks to the extraordinary provisions of that government, tens of thousands of Poles have been hanged on charges of treason, as confirmed in the Vienna Parliament by Delegate Ignace Daszynski, and

"Whereas, The latest news that has come to us from Poland concerning the arrest of Brigadier General Pilsudski, Waclaw Sieroszewski, and other leaders, and the 7disarming and interning of tens of thousands of young men of the legions who refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Prussian king and brotherhood in arms with the Prussians, for they could not carry arms against soldiers of a democratic world and fight against the interests of Poland, and

"Whereas, The governments of the Central Powers now occupying Poland are drafting our brethren into Von Beseler's army against their will, forcing them to fight in defense of Prussian autocracy and its imperialistic aims,

"We hereby solemnly protest before the whole world against this violation of international law, and raise our voices in a great cry for justice for the Polish nation, which has suffered and continues to suffer the greatest privations, bloodshed, and property damage of this war.

"Here, from the free soil of the land of Washington, which has become an adopted homeland to us, we raise our voices in protest to the whole world in behalf of 8those whose lips are sealed and who cannot protest. Understanding that the Polish cause is a cause closely united with that of the Allies, and that the defeat of Prussian autocracy and militarism means the end of chains and slavery for our homeland, we protest against the forced recruiting of our brethren into the army of Von Beseler, which is a Prussian army, to be used for Prussia's purposes.

"We vow our faith and unqualified loyalty to the American flag and, paying homage to the great president of this nation, we express our readiness to give our blood and our money in defense of those principles for which the United States has entered the war.

"Desiring to avenge, as a nation, the wrongs done us by the Prussians, and having a Polish army in France and in Russia as the nucleus for a great Polish army of the future, we appeal to the American Government in Washington to permit us to form a Polish army here also, so that the Polish exiles, as yet not citizens of the United States, who were born in Poland under Prussian 9or Austrian rule, might have the right to fight for the freedom of the nations, and we shall carry our Polish Eagle beside the American Stars and Stripes with pride, and, as Poles from America, we shall enter mortal combat on the side of the Allies and the United States for the freedom and independence of our homeland. So help us God!

"W. Wrzesinski,

"[Mrs.] M. Sakowski,

"H. Lokanski,

"A. Czarnecki,

"S. Lewental."

After the reading and enthusiastic acceptance of the resolution, Przyprawa addressed the gathering. His address, based on the resolution he had just read, was delivered with spirit, and was interrupted by applause at many points. In bringing out the fact that Poland has been honored in Paris, where the Polish flag was unfurled beside those of the Allies, the speaker 10said that this fact gives us the right to account ourselves one of the Allied nations. Another fact of significance is that the creation of a Polish army in France has been sanctioned by the French president. And here in the United States permission will probably be granted for the creation of a Polish army, for the Polish Falcons' Alliance has already issued the order for mobilization and recruiting. The Polish youth ought to take advantage of this opportunity and rally to the Polish flag so that, side by side with the Americans, we can fight for the rights of mankind. We shall fight until we have planted the Polish banners, made by Polish women in America, upon the walls of Poznan, Krakow, and Warsaw with our own hands.

The chairman of the gathering, A. Mazur, then adjourned the meeting with the proper address, calling upon the Philaret Choir to sing "Boze Cos Polske" [God Save Poland], the public joining in after the first verse of this national hymn.

J. S. Zawilinski, secretary.