OCR Text |
Show POSEN, THE EXPERIMENT STATION FOR "KULTUR" The province of I'oscu, formerly pun of Germuny's eastern Prussia, uud uno of tho most Important fragments frag-ments of old Poland, which has been Incorporated In the now war-boru Poland, Po-land, was the unhappy experiment Motion for somo of Prussia's most vigorous vig-orous ami futile efforts to Germanize nu alien population. Until tho northern portion of I 'own fell to Prussia, ufter tho first partition par-tition of Poland hi 1772, and tho re-mulmlor re-mulmlor was annexed to Pruxsla 21 years later, Posen's history wus blended blend-ed with thnt of Poland. In connection with tho first purtltlon, It will bo recalled re-called that Frederick tho Great adopted adopt-ed the Ingenious scheme of surrounding surround-ing thoso parts of Poland he doslrcd with u military force, on tho pretext thnt ho wuu seeking to check tho spread of a cattlo disease. After being bundled for a brief period, pe-riod, Posen fell to Prussia uguln In 1810, uud for more tlmn half a century cen-tury Germany paid little heed to It. After tho division of tho vast estates and other economic changes, Polish middle classes In Posen began to prosper, pros-per, whereupon, toward tho last quarter quar-ter of the nineteenth century, Pruwsln began to tnlto notice of H provincial "Topsy." Germans hud been Immigrating Immi-grating there slnco tho thirteenth century cen-tury nud the newcomers, at first were welcomed. Severance of Posen from Poland changed thnt feeling though open friction wus not generated until Prussia began her -repressive measures. meas-ures. Polish nobles hnd kept; nllvo Polish Po-lish traditions, but PrunHbi wus moro ulnrmed by the prosperity of the Poles thnn by what, todny. might bo called tho flobles' propaganda. So sho set about Germanizing Posen, both by colonization col-onization und by compulsion, much nn sho attempted to do to the French In Alsace. " Prussia's first mpvp was to make German tho language uf tho school Police were ordered to disperse meetings meet-ings where Polish wns spokon. After JO years thnt prrjrrnm failed to mnko much of a Prussian Impression Impres-sion upon Posen. so a commission was t-et up. In 1KN4, to buy land from the Poles for German sen lenient lie-fore lie-fore the failure of this j!K y wus I openly .admitted the original nppro n priatloh o?' 100,000,000 marks was sup- '-) plemenfcd ngnm and, ngaln' until, In 15 ycarsr, moro thnn half of Posen hnd "' been bought for German colonists. ( Still tho Poles predominated. More kept coming from Poland nnd opndsl . tlon to the German prdgrnnr wns Intensified Inten-sified as the measures became bar- . slier, J liven 'Germany was candall7cd ' "u when, In 1002, It was brought to light . In Uio Prussian pnrllnment that, pu- ,fl plls had been whlpjjedfby'th( whole- 3 sale for declining to'sny tho Lord's s Prayer In Oeminn. lint tho opposl- ?J tlon of tho grownups did not cause i tho worhl-wldo Interest aroused by t the school children's strlko In 100(1 ", when nbout 100.000 Polish pupils took Jlint meniH or protesting ngnlnst bb- '' lug beaten when thoy would not answer an-swer questions In German. Tho Prus- ' slnn government refused to nccedo to . tho request of tho archbishop of Posen ?, that children be permitted to receive " i religious Instruction In, Polish. Par- : ents who withdraw them from school B wcro Imprisoned. -m Kfforts to absorb or crowd out tho B Poles by German colonization hnv- B Ing failed, n measure was pnscd for ' ifl the expropriation of Polish land. - -B Further lnws were orincted compel- fl ling wider uso of tho Gcrmnn Inn- fl gunge. Then enma tho Knttowlfc In- 'fl ctdciit, In 1010. crowning a ncrlcs of B petty persecutions Which bordered on ' 'fl tho nbsurd, wherein n number of minor ifl ofllclnls who hnd voted for Poles nt a fl municipal election wcro removed from ,1 ofllce. i "s ifl PoBen Is smaller, territorially, than n Maryland, but lindhalf.n million moro H population Id 1010. About n million JH Poles moro thnn half tho total popu- 4nm lutlon In Posen wcro established 'Ifl there before tho World wnr. Poen ijH has mineral deposits of lignite and H salt. Much of Its land wan tilled. Its , manufactured products, besides thoso - of Its breweries and distilleries, wt-ro ,fl sugar, cloth, tobacco, bricks and ma- jfl chlnery. fl .A . |