FOUR
SUMMER SESSION KANSAN
FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1931
ACCOUNT OF RUSSIAN INVASION OF POLAND GIVEN BY STUDENT
Eyewitness of Events During Troublesome Period of Polish History Records Impressions
(The following account was written by Milton Littell, at present a student at the University, concerning his experiences in Poland during the time of invasion by the Communist army).
Wysoka, Mazovietk, a small Polish town of 10,000, was jubilant. After a long yoke of oppression under the Russian Tsarist regime and the German monarchy Poland was at last free. The entire population poured into the public square to watch the Germans depart. This square, an open rectangle four blocks in area, with stores on all four sides, was situated in the center of the town. From this square the German soldiers were departing stolid and reserved in the face of the mocking calls from the assembled Polish populace. As the last of the German soldiers disappeared in the distance, a general cheering of "Long Live the Polish Republic" broke from the multitude, and a noisy and happy celebration followed.
About a year later on a bright sunny morning the square of Wysoko-Mazo-vietzk was again seething with excitement. War had broken out between Poland and Soviet Russia and the Polish army had been thoroughly defeated in each battle. There were rumors that the Russians were but sixty miles out of Wysoko. All morning the battered remnants of the Polish army were fleeing through the town toward Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Most of the public officials of the town had resigned to join in defence of the capital. In all windows were placards "Death to All Slackers." Gradually the excitement died down. The last stragglers of the fleeing Polish army had disappeared and a deathly silence reigned.
Civilians were hiding in their houses behind barred windows and locked doors awaiting the enemy. In the back of an apartment connected by a door with one of the stores leading to the square, a few relatives and I were lying down on the floor in order to avoid any possibility of being hit by stray bullets.
We were in this position for about an hour and scarcely uttered a sound. Finally I could not stand the strain any longer. Noiselessly I crawled away from my relatives, opened the door, and tiptoed silently to the front of the store. A volley of shots suddenly burst out, the first sound in an hour. With my heart thumping violently I peered out through the cracks of the window shutters. The Russian cavalry had arrived
They were splendid horsemen attired in the old Cossack uniform of the Tsarist government. They dismounted in the middle of the square and stood chatting. At this moment, out of an alley, not more than a hundred feet away, a Polish soldier swayed unsteadily. Where he came from and why he was still in town no one has been able to explain satisfactorily.
At the sight of the Russians the soldier started to run back into the alley. But it was too late. Almost instantly one of the Russians, saber in hand, was in his saddle and a few seconds later overtook him. The Pole screamed for mercy. The Russian hesitated for a moment, then suddenly lifted his arm and brought down the saber. A terrible scream that chilled my blood resounded in the air and everything seemed to sway and reel before my eyes. At that moment I was pulled into the back apartment by one of my relatives. I was trembling and shaking and my clothes were soaked in prespiration.
Fifteen minutes later the Russian infantry began to stream in. Gruff commands to open the doors were heard, and as we obeyed a crowd of soldiers came in. In a few minutes they had seized everything of any use to them and left the house. They were a strange mass of soldiers and only a few of the non-commissioned soldiers wore uniforms. Most of them wore ragged civilian clothes, some wore no outer shirts, and a few were even stripped to the waist. They looked more like a mob of motley beggars than a disciplined army.
I walked out into the middle of the square where a crowd of soldiers were assembled. A communist captain had been killed and was to be buried in the middle of the town. His still figure, covered with a white sheet, lay on the ground. As I stood by curiously a burly Russian pushed through the crowd and lifted the sheet. The dead man wore a spotless silk shirt with gold cuff-links, the grey trousers of the infantry uniform, and neatly polished boots. So calm and peaceful was his face that one might have thought that he was asleep if there had not been a large red stain over his heart. The Russian replaced the sheet, muttering sorrowfully, "He was a brave man."
I moved away towards the place where I had seen the Polish soldier die. He lay sprawled grotesquely near the alley where he had fallen. His head was almost severed from his body. The face had the hue of dirt colored chalk. The eyes were still open and had an expression of terror in them that horrified me. I was about to turn away when I suddenly heard above me loud laughter. I looked up angrily. It was the same bury Russian who had almost been on the verge of tears when he saw his dead captain. “It’s only a dirty Pole,” he exclaimed, again bursting in out laughter.
The next day a communist government was established in the town. The former mail carrier was appointed mayor and the former street cleaner was appointed chief of police, and promises of a perfect Utopia where everyone was to have all pleasures and no grievances were loudly voiced. Even louder were the boasts "In two days from today, we will be in Warsaw!"
But two days later there were rumors of defeat and disaster and the next morning there was a constant flow of the fleeing Russians northward through the town. Within fifty miles of Warsaw the Russian army had been thoroughly defeated.
At noon there remained but few Russians in the town. These now left their guns and ammunition and began to flee northward. They were, however, stopped at the outskirts of the town by a few armed Polish peasants lead by the former communist mayor and chief of police. About forty Russian captives were taken back to the public square where the Polish army was expected any minute. Suddenly there were heard reports of shooting from the north side of the town. The Polish captors threw away their arms and fled. The Russians had heard of the capture of some of their soldiers and came back to rescue them and avenge themselves on the natives.
They went from house to house and seized every male from fifteen to sixty years of age. Every man found hiding was shot to death for this, according to the Russians, was a sign of guilt. Sixteen people were killed. Of these not one had been active in the capture $ ^{o} $
ABE WOLFSON
Money to Loan on Valuables
Guns and Revolvers — Watches and Jewelry
Later that evening the Polish soldiers arrived. The next few days were a series of triumphs for the Poles. The Russians were defeated at every turn. A few of the captured townpeople began to return with stories of adventure.
637 Mass. St. — Phone 675
Some of the stories had pathos and some humor. There was a man of more than sixty years of age, a sickly invalid, who had been taken out of his bed and forced to march along with the soldiers. Finally he fell exhausted and could not go on any more. He was brutally shot down. There was a youth of scarcely sixteen in whose pockets the Russians had found a bullet. In vain the pleaded that he had found it in one of the streets of the town. A bullet ended his cry for mercy. On the other hand, there was a story about the wealthiest man in town, a fat, weak-legged person. As his strength began to give way he promised half of his fortune to a husky youth if he would carry him. The youth carried him for a few miles, and then, tiring of promises of wealth, he threw him disgustedly into the ditch.
the Russian soldiers. The male population was then taken along with the Russians and were not heard of for five days.
A week later Wysoko-Mazovietkz became the old peaceful town it was before. The Polish government was again in control. The former communist mayor again assumed his position of mail carrier and the former street cleaner returned to his occupation. Wysoko was at last to have a chance to recuperate from excitement and adventure.
Schwegler Will Speak Again
Dean R. A. Schwegler of the School of Education will speak again to the students of the Kansas City Teachers College July 6 and 7. His subject for Monday will be: "The Newer Thought on Ideal-Motor Conduct." The following day he will talk on: "The Tragedy of Ideal-Motor Learning."
R. O. T. C. Notes
Fort Sheridan, Ill., June 28-Eight students of the University of Kansas who are cadets here at the summer R. O.T.C. camp qualified as marksmen in the competitive rifle firing held Friday and Saturday.
Those who qualified are: E. B.
Youngstrom, R. A. Hoffman, G. L. Poor,
R. E. Woodmansee, G. R. Grimes, J. W.
Scott, W J. Huff, and R. D. Wall.
McCurdy Receives Appointment
LEISURE AND PINCH OF SALT
SUGGESTED FOR HOT DAYS
Scientists investigating conditions in hot coal mines and steel plants found that the workers who succumbed rapidly when working in a temperature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit were able to stand it better when just a pinch of salt was added to their drinking water.
Washington, (S.S.)—Keeping cool is a science which everyone can practice, say present day scientists. However, don't work too hard at it, they advise, because its first rule is to take things easy during a warm spell, avoiding physical exertion which makes the body's fires burn faster and heats it up. They suggest that if one must work hard during the dog days, he should add a pinch of salt to his glass of water to insure the drinking of plenty of water, in order to replace the moisture lost from the body by perspiration.
Word has been received of the appointment of Henry Benson McCurdy, c'21, to the assistant management of the College Department of the MacMillan Publishing company. Mr. McCurdy owns business property in Lawrence, his former home, and plans to visit here within the next 10 days. At present he is located in New York City.
WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS
We Will Really Please You With Repairs Our Thin Flexible Soles Satisfy Our Hard Leather Heels or Soft Rubber Heels Give Service
Electric Shoe Shop 1017 Mass. Shine Parlor 11 W.9th
The Cafeteria
Will Close Friday After Lunch FOR THE FOURTH
And Re-Open MONDAY MORNING JULY 6th
Enjoy the Fourth
THEN ENJOY THE CAFETERIA
The Remainder of the Summer School.