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Caption: War Publications - WWI Compilation 1923 - Article 24
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IIII-: NKW POI \ND In the >-ar 1795 the "Republic" of Poland disappeared from the face of the earth. Despi? her thousand years of independent existence, and an enviable record for remarkable achievement along no am li neso |human endeavor political, religious, literary, art" this ancient itatC fell ingloriously, an inert, helpless victim, to the merciless rapacit\ of her neighbor-. Prussia, Russia and Austria, each oi them with \ulture instincts but greedy enough for their sorn r^ast. Despite the fact that Poland displayed omc of her old time militancy, and tried to right to the last, she was not really conquered by her enenues. She was simply "partitioned." The shameful spoliation begin in the year 1772, under the able auspices of that rut Frederick 11. With a blasphemous humor characteristic of his age, this cynical llohen/ollern writes to his brother, 1 leiiry, on April V, 1772, as follows : "The partition o\ Poland will unite three religions, the Catholic, the Orthodox, ami the Protestant; Poland will thus he for us a sort of Holy Communion of which we shall all partake. It this act docs not bring salvation to our souls, it will at any rate contribute considerably to the prosperity of our realm." — An observation entirely worthy ot Voltaire himself! Substantially a century ami a half have elapsed since this grim tragedy was begun, but who can read to-day, without recoil, that amazing manifesto addressed to the Poles bv Catherine II, announcing the first partition, and inviting their assistance in this major operation on their own body politic anil fatherland! Asserting as causes tor so drastic a procedure that turbulent Poland was a constant menace to the well-being of adjacent peoples and that these same neighhoring peoples had, each of them, old claims on parts of her territory, therefore, this terrible proclamation continues " . . . his Majesty the King of Prussia, her Majesty the Empress, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias, having mutually set forth their rights and claims, and having come to an agreement, wili each take an equivalent of the district to which they lay claim, and will put thempossession ot those portions most natural and secure between * * ,-« I « * ,4-v *« « *** - . JUL—.*—. A. - . -. * 4* « . . . altogether shameful turn. A second operation, in 1793, lopped off additional segments of
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