Government Upset

Resistlessly impelled by latent causes of unrest, a revolution burst at Warsaw last week, ran its triumphant course. Once more was recalled the dictum of that outspoken Austrian, General Pflanzer: "Ha! The Poles? Sir, they are one-third magpies, one-third rabbits, one-third LIONS!"

Lion. As the week opened, Poland's most terrifying "lion," Marshal Joseph Pilsudski, was brooding upon his wrongs and the decay of the fatherland, at his country estate near Warsaw.

The Marshal knew: 1) That Poland may be said to have "lost out" diplomatically through the failure of France to secure for her a League Council seat (TIME, March 29, THE LEAGUE), and through the signing of the Russo-German ("neutral support") treaty between Poland's two chief enemies (TIME, May 10, GERMANY). 2) That Poland's budget refuses to balance, this having led to the fall of the Skzrynski Cabinet (TlME, May 3). 3) That early last week the Nationalist leader Witos formed a new Cabinet and welcomed into it, as Minister of War, Pilsudski's avowed enemy, the Marquis of Malczewskis. 4) That this Nationalist Cabinet would begin the old game of oppressing the Jews and racial minorities, whereas Pilsudski and the Socialists desired to weld the country into a compact unit.

Only that morning Pilsudski had flayed the Witos Government in an interview printed by the Warsaw press. Grimly he reflected that he was still the idol of the Polish army, that most Polish soldiers subscribe to the famed remark of a nameless private: "Our Pilsudski has only to wink his eye and we will all commit anything from treason to suicide, according to his orders."

Explosion. While the Marshal brooded, a band of Nationalists, infuriated by his press tirade against the Nationalist Witos Cabinet, rushed without warning upon his house, surrounded it, called to Pilsudski to come out and be thrashed. Thick-witted, they had not cut his telephone wire. With a lion's leap the Marshal seized the instrument, shouted the number of the nearest army barracks, bellowed a command to the astonished officer who answered. True Poles, every soldier in the barracks seized his gun, rushed frenziedly to the rescue of the man who symbolizes Polish freedom -- whatever his extragavances of temperament and despite the fact that the Germans captured and imprisoned him (1914-18) while other Poles wrought the free Poland for which he had schemed his whole life long.

As the Marshal's rescuers sped to succor him, he, adroit, parleyed with the Nationalist mob. The soldiers came. Pilsudski saw and conquered. While the Nationalists fled, the soldiers stayed to cheer, to work themselves into a frenzy in which they demanded that Pilsudski lead them to Warsaw, overturn the Cabinet, free Poland of scalawags!

Why not?

DONE!

Events poured like a torrent from that decision.* Within a few hours the Marshal's throaty telephone commands brought regiment after regiment at the double. As Pilsudski, eyes aflame, tugging at his drooping mustache, neared Warsaw, President Wojciechowski, personally commanding a troop of soldiers still loyal to the Government, barred his way at the entrance to a long bridge. Imperious Pilsudski demanded the resignation of the Witos Cabinet, the formation of a Cabinet largely Socialist. Since the President's troops were outnumbered, he could offer no more defiance than to refuse the demand, hastily retreat to the Belnedere Palace on the extreme western rim of Warsaw, fortify himself there, leaving the city to Pilsudski.

Capitulation. During the two days of scattered fighting which ensued, some 500 Poles were killed. Government planes bombed Pilsudski's headquarters at the Saxon Palace. His troops tightened the siege of the Nationalists and the President at the Belvedere Palace. Then three Cabinet Ministers flew up and away in an airplane. The President, wearing a steel helmet, escaped by climbing over the wall of the Belvedere Palace and fled on foot. The Government's troops surrendered to Pilsudski.

Later, the resignations of President Wojciechowski and the entire Witos Cabinet were brought to Warsaw by a priest, the Rev. Tokarzewski, and delivered to Marshal Pilsudski. Completely victorious, he proclaimed:

"The manifestations of the army were never to infringe upon the constitutional prerogatives of the President, but were directed solely against the Witos Government."

No Dictator. Subsequent dispatches proved Pilsudski no demagog anxious to become a dictator. He recognized M. Rotaj, President of the Diet, as President of the Republic -- which he constitutionally became upon the resignation of President Wojciechowski. M. Rataj then called in Casimir Bartal (Laborite) as Premier, and he promptly installed Pilsudski as Minister of War. Former Premier Count Skrzynski was made Minister of Foreign Affairs. The rest of the Cabinet were not announced. Said the Marshal to a U. S. reporter: "It all happened like lightning."

*Pilsudski had, of course, been long awaiting just such an opportunity, had pondered well how best to strike when it came.