Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1906 — THEIR AIM 18 A REPUBLIC. [ARTICLE]

THEIR AIM 18 A REPUBLIC.

Polish Patriots in This Country Linked in a Great Lesgne - -Ail over the world Poles are watching the course of events in Russia and asking one another “Is there hope?" They do not say of what. That ia not necessary. To Poles the phrase has but one meaning—the independence of their country. But their leaders, the Secret Central Committee of the Polish League, are playing a waiting game. This Secret Central Committee is really a wonderful organization—a government within a government. It consist! of the ablest men in the National League, a vast society that numbers nearly every adult male Pole and many women as well, The leagne has branches in every place where there are enough Poles to form a club of some sort or other. No matter whether the club be social, literary, dramatic, political or athletic, it is first of all patriotic. There is a secret committee at the head of the various organizations in every country where the Poles have extensive interests. There is one here in New York; which governs the 45,000 members in America. There is another in Londoh, and still others in Paris, Berlin and even St Petersburg and Warsaw. From these sub-committees delegates are chosen for the highest committee of all, the Central Committee, whose word is law. These delegates are usually men of considerable wealth, all of it pledged to the cause, and, without exception, of high personal integrity. This is vital, because they have undisputed control of the funds of the league, and are answerable to no one for their expenditures. Nearly all Poles are firmly determined that if they ever become an independent nation they will have a republic on the plan of our own and with a constitution based on ours. All parties—Nationalist, Agrarian, the three Socialistic parties and a couple of others—make this the chief plank In their platforms. The league in this coiuntry has 45,000 members, of whom 1,500 are women. At its last conference, held at Buffalo about a month ago, some $60,000 was appropriated for different expenses, among them being a statue of Kosciusko, to be erected in Washington snd presented to ths American people, and the establishment of a higher Polish school in Pennsylvania. Among the activities of the New York branch is a fund for the relief of Polish deserters from the Russiaa army who flee to this country.