Evening star., 1939-08-29
Danzig and Corridor
Cant Be Yielded,
Says Diplomat S Wife
Nine. Wonkowicz Coils
Them Her Nations Head
And Throat

And 1hroot
II you cut of q mans head, he
can't live, said Nine. Wankowicx
simply. Danzig and the Polish cor
ridor are to Poland her head and
her throat.
Vividly blue-eyed. and young
looking, though she's a grandmoth-
er, Nine. Wankowicz is the wife
Of Witold Wankowicz, counselor of
the Polish Embassy here.
Although as the wife of q diplo-
mat she has lived much away from
Poland, her home is full of re-
minders of her native land and her
garden, despite its American blooms,
shows the Polish characteristic
making use OF every conceivable bit
of land.
But she hasn't so much time to
work in her garden these last few
days. She stays beside her radio
or she goes to church.
I'VE have to pray much for our
country" she explained.
Try though she might, she can't
keey away from the radio. In fact,
yesterday she boght a new one with
short wave apparatus SO she can
keep in closer touch with the coun-
try that holds many of her loved
ones. among them daughter and
an infant grandchild.
Finds Y. s. Well Informed.
Afraid she might miss some turn
IN the events that have overtaken
her country. she frequently tele-
phones the Embassy where the
radio is on night and day and her
husband can tell her the latest news.
Mr.. Wankowicz, whose duties
keep him long at the Embassy these
days, finds the American public very
we'll informed OF the crisis via the
radio and the newspapers. "Of
course he said, "a certain amount
of incorrect information trickles in
but the general trend is toward i'm
partiality. It's a great help to us
here"
Nine. Wankowicz is declining al
most all invitations to social fune-
tions. II do not feel like going
about now" she said sadly.
She asked for the latest news
when she was being interviewed at
her home. 1909 Buchanan street
NV, today. How can one man.
one man upset the whole British
Empire?' she was asking when a
messenger boy came to deliver a
cable.
She smiled as she read it. Good
news she said.
1t was, perhaps, from her daugh-
tiers, homeward bound from a visit
in Antwerp. They had planned to
stay longer in Europe, to brush up
on their French, but this was not
the time"
Every Family Has One in Army.
Her Oldest daughter, married less
than two years ago in Danzig, has
already lost her husband to the
army, Nine. Wankowicz fears.
Every Polish family has a broth
er or a son in the army" Mime.
Wankowicz said I'm afraid nv
son-in-law is already with them"
She emphasized that the women,
her own sisters among them, are
training for their part In the con-
hict, if conflict comes.
THE attitude of the Polish
woman she said, lis the same as
that OF the nation in general She
Is calm, determined and ready for
the supreme sacrifice.
Although most of the women are
organized into units constituting q
comprehensive system Of auxiliaries,
anyone who knows anything of Po-
lish history knows that the women
will not hesitate to join their men
in actual combat"
I'VE Can't Give Up"
Her grandmother and another
kinswoman, the famous Emilia Plati,
girl soldier and patriot, were among
the women who served with the men
in other eras Of Polands battle torn
history.
Her grandmother served as 4
courier during the Polish insurrec-
ton Of 1853, carrying messages and
provisions through the forests to
the widely scattered insurgent
troops. She was courtmartialed and
condemned to exile in deep" Russia.
Her grandfather, too, was exiled,
but to another part of Russia. 1t
was years before her two grand
parents met again.
Nine. Wankowicz has a set of
delicately carved chessmen made
by her grandfather during his years
in exile.
Speaking with the fervor that
must have characterized her pa
triotic ancestors, Nine. Wankowicz
declared, I'VE cannot give up. You
remember, Frederick the Great said
the man who controls DanMg and
the mouth Of the Vistula River Is
more the king Of Poland than the
man ut Warsaw. Poland needs its
outlet to the sea to live. We can
mt viA1d