Midnight Madness

Dictator Josef Pilsudski, moody and perverse, scorned even to appear before the recent session of the Polish Sejm (Parliament) which had risen last week for the holidays. Then, impulsively, Marshal Pilsudski decided late one night last week that he wanted to talk to the politicians after all.

For the Marshal to desire is to act. The Sejm was not in session, but there might be some politicians skulking in the Parliament building. There were. A committee, sparsely attended, was mulling drowsily over the War Department appropriations in the budget. Suddenly the door flew open. A big, fierce-mustached man, clad in an old faded uniform, strode in. He sat down at the committee table, folded his arms, scowled, sniffed the air contemptuously, said nothing. . . .

"Marshal Pilsudski," ventured the committee chairman at last, "do you wish to make a statement?"

"Of course I do! Why else would I take the trouble to come here? But," wrinkling his nose, "you can't expect me to say anything in a stuffy box like this!"

Janitors were routed out. Feverishly they put the great hall of the Sejm in shape for a meeting. Meanwhile jangling telephones roused Deputies from their beds, brought them scurrying. When all was ready Marshal Pilsudski strode in, obviously in the best of humors. Mounting the tribune he made one of those booming patriotic speeches beloved of Poles. His major theme: "Conditions in Europe at the present time do not warrant the abolition of armaments, and so long as there is the necessity for an army we might as well have a good one."

Amid general enthusiasm the Budget Committee then announced that they favored the Marshal's proposal to spend one-third of the revenues of the State on the army. The pleasure of the Deputies at Marshal Pilsudski's bid for their support was evident. The magnetism of his personality sufficed to overcome their resentment at such actions on his part as his sending (TiME, Nov. 15) a detachment of soldiers to march 'round and 'round the Parliament Building to prove his supremacy. As dawn broke upon last week's midnight meeting enough Deputies had collected to declare a formal session of the Sejm at which the budget was rushed through, military clauses and all.