My War Memories, 1914-1918
were Polish towns. This fact impressed me as deeply as the systematic manner in which France had educated her youth in the idea of revanche. The Poles and the French have by these means kept alive a strong national feeling, which stands them in good stead now. We have not pursued such an educational policy and suffer from the fact that the strong national idea has not been instilled into our youth. Such a feeling is necessary if a country is to survive crises such as we have lived through since 1914, and now more than ever. This view is rejected by all who think that the ideal of human brotherhood comes first. That is natural enough from their point of view. The logic of facts, however, is against them until all nations adopt the same point of view. Would that we too had had, what we so sorely needed, a strong national feeling !
No restrictions were imposed on anyone in the practice of his religion. We went so far in our desire for toleration as to give the Jews wheaten flour for unleavened bread.
The Evangelical clergy in Courland were wholly on our side, and we were soon on satisfactory terms with the Catholic priesthood of Lithuania, The Polish Catholics however, were hostile to us. To a certain extent the attitude of the people towards us was reflected in that of the Church, but the Lithuanian clergy were on the whole better disposed to us than the democracy in Viha, who soon lost all status through their muddle-headed ambitions.
The Polish clergy were the pillars of Polish national propaganda. They had preserved that character even under the Russian knout. They were at war with the Lithuanians and had already overthrown the White Ruthenes. That the Russians should have allowed such a state of affairs is incomprehensible. The White Ruthenes had to conduct their religious service in Polish, not in their own tongue, and this with Russian approval! The assistance of the clergy was invoked there to oppress the White Ruthenes, as their brothers in East Galicia were oppressed.
The Poles soon put forward claims in educational matters, and were anxious to have their own University in Vilna, but I refused permission.
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