Page:The Destruction of Poland - Toynbee - 1916.djvu/27

 "organisation" of Poland. They hoped to organise Polish food into German warehouses and to organise Polish industry out of existence, and that much they have achieved. But their greatest dream was this exploitation of Polish man-power, this drafting of skilled and docile helots into German workshops and mines, so that every able-bodied German might be free to take his rifle and enter the fighting ranks, with a vast impetus to German military power. It was an audacious conception, but it has failed — failed, as so often happens with German schemes, through a radical mistake in psychology. It might have been possible in an ant-hill—ants exploit in such fashion more tame and sluggish insects—but it is not possible in this "barbaric" or "decadent" Europe, which Germany aspires to organise on to a higher plane.

The spirit of the Polish people has not been broken, and Germany has been foiled of her expectation. But Poland is still' in her power, and there is nothing' to restrain Germany from her revenge. The suffering of Poland grows more terrible month by month.

Here is a description of conditions at Lodz, published- by the "Journal de Génève" on December 1st, 1915:—

"According to the special correspondent of the "Journal de Génève," the condition of Lodz goes from bad to worse. The two chief evils, as was to be expected, are lack of employment and exorbitantly high prices. As for the former, the factories are now working only three days in the week, the raw material having been