Poles Apart

WAY OF THE LANCER--Richard Bole-slavski--Babbs-Merrill ($3).

During the War's insanity "Poles fought against Poles, yet all of them were moved by the same patriotism and the same ideals." Russia promised Poland freedom if the Allies won; the Central Powers promised freedom too. Patriotic Poles in the opposing armies, just to make their country's freedom doubly sure, shot each other on sight. On the Russian side was Actor Boleslavski of the Moscow Art Theatre. As an officer of the Polish Lancers he had a dashing part to play. "During the war, and later during the Revolution, we wandered in and out of the confusion, always a little detached from all of it. Though we fought and were killed, we were in spirit really onlookers." Onlooker Boleslavski found that the scenes were vivid though the play was bad. One of the scenes: Near the officers' mess lived an old man who had, besides large greenhouses for raising cucumbers, a pretty young wife. Every time an officer enjoyed her favors a dish of fresh cucumbers would appear at table. The Colonel innocently complained about so many cucumbers, but one day an enormous dish was served up with his compliments. The officers choked with laughter. After the Russian Revolution, when the jealous greenhouse-keeper became executioner of the Tribunal of that town, whenever prisoners, especially officers, were condemned, he would read the sentence, load his gun, fire it straight between their eyes. But the cartridge was always a blank. After he had "laughed heartily over his joke, the prisoners would be disposed of in the regular way."

After the Tsar's abdication the Lancers joined up with Kerensky, fought with him until Communist propaganda brought the Russian troops to mutiny. The White officials made long speeches about patriotism and honor. The Red propagandists said three words: "Peace, Bread and Land." "They knew the people. . . . They whispered three words, then waited three months, then acted." Outlawed, the Lancers tried to win their way back to Poland, hid in the forests, finally had to desert their beloved horses and scatter. Boleslavski took shelter with a mad woman who thought he was her dead husband returned from the War. Mixing with a mob of soldiers he got away to Moscow and another life. Way of the Lancer, written in collaboration with Helen Woodward, is the March choice of The Literary Guild.

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