Evening star., 1939-09-01
Poland 10 Battle
Reso|ute|y for Life,
Says Polish Envoy
Potocki Confers With
Hull, Seeking Facts
As Well as Counsel

Count jerry Potocki, the Polish
Ambassador, said today, after con-
ference with Secretary of State Hull,
that "Poland's resistance to German
attack will be found surprisingly
resolute, because this is matter Of
life and death for Poland"
He said he had seen dispatches
from Warsaw that indicated the
capital had been bombed, but the
bombing was of slight nature and
the damage appeared small.
1t was not yet definite, Count Po-
tocki asserted, whether this was
complete war;" He added that
~only time can tell this" He had
not learned the number of casual
ties from the nights bombing, he
said.
The exact nature of Count Po-
tocki's conversations with Mr.. Hull
and Undersecretary Sumner Welles
were undisclosed. However, it was
learned the Ambassador sought in
formation as well as counsel, for
he had not heard directly from his
own government concerning the
events OF the night and early morn
ing.
Germans Aggressors.
Events have clearly proved that
the Germans were the aggressors, u
Count Potocki said as he arrived at
the State Department. He described
President Roosevelt s appeal against
the bombing of civilian populations
as very good thing" but said no
one could tell "how it will come out
in practice"
The Ambassador announced that
he would meet the press at the
Embassy. Sixteenth and Fuller
streets NV, at pm. today. There
Is likelihood he will make a radio
address to the American public
some time during the day.
The Embassy, where anxious
diplomats have been at work since
long before dawn, communicated
early with the Polish consular agents
all over the United States. Consul
General Sylvester Gruszka and the
financial counselor, Janusz Zoltowski
were summoned to Washington at
once from New York, where they are
stationed.
Waclaw Gawronski, the consul
general in Chicago, also is coming to
Washington. Chicago is the largest
Polish city in this country. There
are 100000 Poles, or men and
women of Polish descent, in the
United States, it is estimated.
Wakened From Sleep.
Ambassador Potocki and the
members of his staff were awakened
from restless sleep by news of Chan
cellor Hitler's Reichstag speech. They
left their various homes and assem-
bled at the Embassy The warlike
tenor of the Hitler talk made them
certain the crisis had come.
The night was the climax of many
sleepless days. For more than a week
the Embassy has received calls and
visits from Poles all over the United
States, seeking information. More
than 200 Americans have offered
their services to Poland through the
Embassy.
Nothing official was said at the
Embassy this morning. There was an
air of serious calm. The door of the
chancery was kept locked, but visi-
tors were admitted to an ante room
The radio in the Ambassador office
was kept going loudly.
For those at the Embassy, prop
erty and the safety of relatives as
we'll as homeland are at stake. The
Ambassador has large estates neal
Lemberg. His wife is in Poland. The
other members of the staff at the
Embassy are:
Witold Wankowicz, counselor; 1t
Col. Andrzej Chramiec, military ane
air attache; Rafal Lepkowski, seconc
secretary.