among the immortals the spirit of a man whose unstinting dedication to freedom, justice, liberty and human dignity serve as a shining example not only to the present and future generations of Americans, but to peoples everywhere who continue to look to the United States for leadership in fighting tyranny and oppression wherever it may be found.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend several people who have been largely responsible for securing the Kosciuszko House in Philadelphia as an historical site, namely, Mr. Edward J. Piszek of Philadelphia, Dr. Eugene Kusielewicz of the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York City, and Mr. Ernest L. Cuneo.

STATEMENT OF HON. JOSHUA EILBERG, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA

Mr. Chairman, it is with a genuine sense of pride that I address myself to H.R. 6759, which would declare the Philadelphia residence of Thaddeus Kosciuszko a National Historic Site. It has been my privilege to introduce this bill and to urge its adoption by the Congress as an act of simple justice to a great patriotic hero and as fitting public recognition of the ethnic and cultural heritage shared by up to 10 million Americans. No people have given more of themselves in labor of hand, heart and mind than have the Poles. From the settlement of Jamestown to the present day, the Polish have played a vital role in the building of American civilization.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania boasts the third highest Polish-American population among the States of this Nation-some 800,000. Of this community, over 150,000 are in the City of Philadelphia, the 8th highest Polish-American population in the cities of the United States. Here, as elsewhere, Polish-Americans have contributed beyond measure to that vigorous cultural, religious, and fraternal life which has been and is today the glory of American Polonia.

In honoring Kosciuszko, a great leader in both Poland and the United States, we honor one who fought bravely for liberty in this land and in his motherland alike and who embodied in his life that spirit of the Polish people which has become a valued part of our common American heritage. We live in a time in which the varied ethnic communities of America have increasingly come into their own in terms of recognition, respect, and identity. Polish-Americans are no exception to this movement, and, indeed, have provided able and distinguished leadership in this area.

It has been said that the Kosciuszko house has only an attenuated association with the great patriot-leader, but the fact is that the property in question was the home of Kosciuszko; it was here that he lived, planned, and worked in behalf of America and the cause of free men everywhere.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko, the great national leader in the Polish struggle against Russian and Prussian oppression in defense of the liberal Constitution of 1791, is a name forever enshrined in the list of heroes of our own American Revolution. It has long been the custom of the Polish people to honor as one of their revolutionary heroes this man who has been regarded by citizens on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the outstanding fighters for liberty-truly, a "hero of two worlds."

Kosciuszko's breadth of vision and ability gave his career almost a fictional quality. Of noble birth, he rose above the narrow outlook of the Nineteenth Century Polish nobility to espouse democratic reform. With no prospect of personal gain, he crossed an ocean to aid a foreign people in overthrowing British tyranny. Hailed in the new world for his part in the American Revolution, he forsook all honors to carry the spirit of revolutionary democracy back to Poland. Defying his own class, the Polish nobility, he campaigned politically in behalf of constitutional government in Poland, and, when Polish nobles and Russian and Prussian troops sought to thwart the popular will, he took up arms against them. Although achieving fame in the American Revolution as an engineering genius, he now appeared in the role military tactician, leading a minute Polish army against the Russian horde in some of the most brilliant defensive military campaigns in history.

Kosciuszko met these massed forces on the battlefield-and, though initially defeated, he returned in 1794 at the head of an insurrectionary army to revive the democratic cause in Poland.

For a moment in history, but for a moment only, Kosciuszko sat at the head of the counsels of a free Poland. Temporarily triumphant, the Polish democrats

foresaw a glorious future, such as that already spreading before the Americans, and in honor of his leadership in their struggle they chose him as President. In this capacity, Kosciuszko's attitude was the same as that of the American leader, George Washington. Despite his noble background and military career, he gave to free Poland its first taste of genuine democracy, initiating democratic reforms that were immediately incorporated into the Polish tradition.

Kosciuszko's role in our own American Revolution is legend. He declared in favor of the American cause, which he regarded as the cause of his native Poland-a fight for independence from foreign domination. Schooled as an engineer in the best military colleges of Europe, Kosciuszko constructed the American defenses along the Delaware river. No sooner had he entered upon the American military scene, in fact, than his talents at fortification and construction earned him wide renown. The defenses erected at Ticonderoga early in the war were his work, and his departure from that post and a subsequent revision of the defenses there brought forth an anquished cry from a superior officer who prophesied a disaster unless Kosciuszko returned. It appears that the American officer's protest was prophetic, for in Kosciuszko's absence Ticonderoga fell to a British assault.

Not wanting to commit the same blunder a second time, the American authorities now turned over their main defensive operations to Kosciuszko, who at Saratoga layed out defenses that enabled the Americans to contain the British offensive. This victory, in turn, won for America her alliance with France and her recognition as an independent nation by Louis XVI.

Now fully cognizant of the abilities of Kosciuszko, the army appointed him to oversee the defense of the Hudson River, with headquarters at West Point, the so-called Gibralter of the Hudson. Kosciuszko's work at West Point was the longest and most important of his undertakings in the United States, and is inseparably connected in the American mind with his name.

Nothing is now left of his fortifications-but the monument raised in his honor by the American youth, with the inscription "To the hero of two worlds" remains a grateful tribute to his memory. Indeed, that the military students of the United States can look back to West Point as their Alma Mater is in great measure Kosciuszko's doing. When it was first resolved to fund a military training school for the young men of the various states, Kosciuszko urged that it should be placed at West Point, and suggested the spot where it now stands.

When he sailed from American shores in 1786, Kosciuszko left behind an enviable record. Living up to his constant dream of democratic achievement in the fact of heavy odds, he had assisted in the liberation of a colonial people from beneath the heel of the most powerful military nation of that time.

And so Kosciuszko returned to Poland in the hopes of serving the Polish people as he had served the Americans. He fought his battles there as valiantly as in America-yet the cynical might infer that little was accomplished in his own homeland. But life is not so simple as to be measured only in terms of skirmishes won or lost on a battlefield. Kosciuszko's brilliant, courageous, and idealistic attempt to drive the foreign invader from Polish soil, in the name of democracy, created a tradition, which persists to this day. It is a tradition that is well worth our admiration and respect.

Kosciuszko returned to America in August 1797, reaching the city of Philadelphia. The Congress appropriated over fifteen thousand dollars long due him and made him a land-grant of five hundred acres in Ohio. Returning to Europe in May of 1798, he continued his brave efforts for Polish freedom until his death in Switzerland in 1817.

It can be said of Kosciuszko that no braver man espoused the American Revolutionary cause-and that no one believed more strongly in the democratic rights of his own Polish homeland.

These are troubled times for America and for the larger world community, times in which the ideals and aspirations of our religious and ethical heritage are tested and challenged as never before. The precious contribution which Poles have made to our national life in the areas of family stability, unity, and faith in God has never been more needed. In setting aside the Kosciuszko home as a National Historic Site, we acknowledge not only the personal contribution which he made to America in its crucial years of birth but also the continuing contribution of American Polonia to the integrity and vitality of all our people.

Finally, I urge this Committee and the House of Representatives as a whole to join our colleagues of the Senate, which passed a similar measure (S. 1973) on March 28th of this year, in approving this legislation. In taking this action we are not only extending recognition to the efforts of a single patriot, but are honor

ing those of our fellow citizens who share his ancestral heritage. Indeed, we honor all the varied groups who have added their substance to the fabric of America, by thus memorializing Thaddeus Kosciuszko.

STATEMENT OF HON. CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN

Mr. CHAIRMAN: As co-sponsor of legislation to designate the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Home as a National Historic Site, I appreciate this opportunity to make a statement before the Subcommittee expressing my support for favorable consideration and early enactment of H.R. 13508.

There is no question about the contributions of General Kosciuszko to the American Revolution. After having received a commisssion as a colonel from the Continental Congress, he was responsible for the design and construction of the fortifications at Saratoga and West Point, his most important undertakings in America. By special Act, the Congress bestowed on him the rights and privileges of American citizenship and the rank of Brigadier General for his historic role in the Revolution. Clearly, Thaddeus Kosciuszko ranks among the great men in the history of this Republic.

General Kosciuszko was a forerunner of the millions of Americans of Polishdescent who by skill and hard work, like that of the General, have contributed so much to this country's development. Yet, over the years, little official recognition has been afforded to this man whose efforts were so fundamental to the history of our Nation. There are various tributes to him including a fine park bearing his name in my own District. However, no national historical memorial has been established as a fitting tribute for the contributions made by General Kosciuszko toward winning the freedom we cherish. The last standing structure in which General Kosciuszko spent any appreciable length of time in America is his home at 301 Pine Street in Philadelphia.

The designation of this structure as the Kosciuszko monument has been met with some objections. Among them are the charges that he lived in the house years after his involvement in the Revolution and that he lived there only a short time. I submit how long or when he stayed in the house in Philadelphia is not essential. What does matter is that the house was his domain. It contains evidence and clues to his military service, his personal life and his accomplishments. It was there that he often met with his friend, Vice President Thomas Jefferson. His last residence in America is symbolic of the man. It characterizes Kosciuszko as he was and no other place can tell the story of his life as well as the modest house he occupied in Philadelphia.

This building now abandoned and scheduled to be demolished should be designated as a national historic site before it will be lost to posterity. Action now will provide a national monument to the life and deeds of General Kosciuszko in America.

It will also be an acknowledgement of the many contributions made by Polish Americans throughout our proud history in addition to paying tribute to the earliest and foremost Polish-American who devoted so much of his life to the cause of freedom.

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill and urge prompt and favorable action be taken on the legislation. In doing so, I join with my colleagues and all Americans who have expressed their desire to have the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Home rescued from oblivion and declared a National Historic Site.

STATEMENT OF HON. DON EDWARDS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

General Thaddeus Kosciuszko is an unrecognized hero of American history. One of General George Washington's leading engineers, he designed the fortifications at West Point and Saratoga, and made invaluable contributions to the cause of American independence. Despite his dedicated service, this deserving Polish-American hero has received no official tribute of gratitude from the

United States. The passage of S. 1973, by the creation of a national memorial in his honor, would grant him the place in history that he has so selflessly earned and that he so richly deserves. Now is the time, as the 200th anniversary of our nation approaches, to recognize this Polish born hero of the struggle for liberty and independence, General Kosciuszko. I want to add my voice in support of this national memorial and urge favorable consideration of S. 1973.

STATEMENT OF HON. LUCIEN N. Nedzi, a REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN

Mr. Chairman, I urge passage of H.R. 14307, the bill to establish the Kosciuszko House in Philadelphia as a National Historic Site.

I applaud the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee for its initiative in holding a pulbic hearing. While the matter at hand may not inspire a great outpouring of public interest, the proposal has a symbolic value which would more than justify the modest expenditure on the part of the Congress.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko was, all would agree, a formidable figure in American history. The fact that he fought for freedom and independence for both America and Poland is of historic significance. The authorization of Kosciuszko's onetime home as a historical site would not only acknowledge his contributions to the founding of the United States, but would also acknowledge, in a sense, the vast contributions to our nation's development made quietly and relentlessly by hundreds of thousands of Americans of Polish extraction.

The intrinsic value of the house is not of primary importance. Kosciuszko, after all, being a soldier and restless doer of things, did not stand still. The symbol is of primary importance.

Any nation which fails to look back to its roots and to its history will lose some of that sharp edge of idealism and some of that perspective necessary for a full recognition of its uniqueness.

To honor the memory of Kosciuszko is a worthy and high-minded goal for our small band of interested parties in Congress.

Why, one might ask, do we seek to preserve the memory of a man far, far removed from us in time, a man born 226 years ago? We do so because Kosciuszko set an example, because he was a man who served both Poland and America with distinction, because he represented an idea of liberty which knew no national limits, and because he represented those character traits we like to identify as best reflecting men of Polish blood. He was dreamer, soldier, adventurer, worker, patriot, and pioneer.

As a lover of freedom, he was a forerunner of those millions of men and women from Eastern Europe who have since made that long journey to these shores.

His wide travels, out of necessity as well as choice, were a preface to a salient fact of modern Polish history-the migration of Poles abroad.

In century after century, from generation to generation, people of Polish blood have contributed to the well-being of America, and benefited in turn. In fame, in anonymity, they served with honor.

Kosciuszko was among the first. In honoring him, we honor all the others. Our request is modest. We ask the Committee to be sympathetic and approving. Thank you.

STATEMENT OF HON. DAN ROSTEN KOWSKI, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

Mr. Chairman. It is a tradition in this country to afford recognition to those. persons who have served our country with dignity and selflessness. We have preserved our American spirit with reminders of our heritage and our ancestors who sought to create and continue American idealism and courage.

Never have we hesitated to recognize an American hero because of national, origins. Rather, the American conviction has been that the spirit and the deeds of a man deserve to be remembered regardless of his nationality. It is this belief which enables us to preserve our diversity, while commemorating our history. and our heroes.

H.R. 7515 provides an opportunity to honor the memory of Revolutionary War heroes, and to reward the millions of Polish Americans who contributed so much to their freedom-loving heritage to this country. The Thaddeus Kosciuszko Home would serve as a monument to a man who offered his military genius and burning spirit to fight for the freedom of all Americans. To a large extent, we in America today owe our lives and freedom to men such as Thaddeus Kosciuszko. There are practically no shrines for Polish war heroes in this country. We have failed, in the past, to offer lasting testimony to these men who contributed so much to our history. Now that we have an opportunity to establish such a monument, we must not betray our traditions of recognition. The Thaddeus Kosciuszko Home Site will not only be a monument to a man, but to our glorious heritage of unselfish commitment to the American ideal.

STATEMENT OF HON. LOUISE DAY HICKS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS

In tribute to a great American military hero and the magnificent traditions represented by his name, I would recommend to the committee the favorable consideration of H.R. 10566, a bill to provide for the establishment of the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Home National Historic Site, in the State of Pennsylvania. There is much to be said for the maintenance of our National Historic Sites. As one by one they began to disappear in the wake of the bulldozer, back in the 1920s and the 1930s concerned Americans begun to urge Federal action to prevent continuation of the cultural holocaust. The Historic Sites Act of 1935 established a National policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of National significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States.

It is a good law-a fine law, concerned for the welfare of American traditions. In keeping with its purposes, I have introduced H.R. 10566, with a view to preserving the home of Kosciuszko, whose record of accomplishment reveals him to the world as a hero of the ages.

The cause of American independence from England was only part of a general democratic cause, in the closing decades of the Eighteenth Century. All over the world people were striving for self-government, against the forces of opposition— and of all such people, none surpassed in glory and in splendor the Polish opponents of foreign domination.

A century earlier, in 1683, Polish troops had won the admiration of all Europe by stopping the Mohammedan armies of Sulemein II in the battle of Vienna, and Poland had become in this moment the savior of Christianity. Yet by 1772 her neighbor states were ready with the help of certain Polish nobles, to effect the First Partition of Poland-and Polish patriots were overwhelmed and driven into exile. One of these was Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a captain in the Polish army who resigned his commission and departed for France.

The struggle for American Independence attracted the attention of thousands upon thousands of Europeans, lured by the democratic call-to-arms. For in our battle they sensed the spirit of their own, and sought in helping us to help the general cause of liberty.

In the uniform of the Continental Army, Kosciuszko played a major part in many areas and many branches of the military service. As an engineer, he was responsible for fortifying American installations on the Delaware River and Mt. Defiance, at Ticongeroga, and for construction of West Point, which was his outstanding undertaking in America. As a tactician, he played a major part in the American victory at Saratoga, and as Transportation Officer and Cavalry Commander under General Greene won glory in the Carolinas.

When American Independence became a reality, Kosciuszko returned home, to challenge Rusian tyranny in Poland.

Beyond a doubt, the life of Kosciuszko was that of democracy in action, and every place identified with his name deserves the honor of American concern. I therefore propose favorable consideration of H.R. 10566, a bill to provide for the establishment of the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a National Historic Site.