Evening star., 1939-09-29
Americans Plight in Warsaw
During Siege Is Described
Food and Water Problems Mount
As Refugees Flock to Embassy
BY JULIEN BRYAN.

BY JULIEN BRYAN.
STOCKHOLM, Sept. 20 (By Ra-
dio) On September II, my fifth
day in Warsaw, at 2:30 an, Mai.
Colbern, American military attache
In Warsaw, arrived at the Embassy
accompanied by Consul William
Morton. He had been ordered to
Brest-Litovsk to help evacuate
Americans to the north. Imme-
diately had tremendous decision
to make, for there was one available
place in the majors car. It might
be my one chance for safety. I de-
cided to stay to get some pictures.
Many American refugees-who
had been ordered three weeks earlier
to leave Poland-were sleeping In
the dugout cellar of the Embassy
building, on the floor, tables and
chairs. Some were billeted in the
wartime dugout which had been
made in the garden last year
in preparation for the Czech crisis
These refugees, men, women and
children, were largely of Polish stock
some residents of Warsaw, but most
OF outlying cities and villages who
had hocked to the American EN-
bassy for protection. Every day five
or 10 new refugees arrived from the
south and. west.
At the time of my arrival in the
capital consular officials were still
living IN their own apartments and
working at the embassy. Air raids
were often severe in the daytime
sometimes there were from three to
20 air saids, although not many
bombs dropped in the immediate
vicinity of the Embassy.
Smelling Started Sept. l3.
In those early days bombs largely
were aimed at certain vulnerable
spots, such as bridges, railway sta
tlons, airports and military head
quarters. Hundreds of bombs missed
by a tremendous margin, running
hospitals, houses, stores and killing
hundreds of civilians even then. But
1t was not until September 13 that
warsaw was first shelled by artillery,
During these days I spent my time
conferring with Warsaw officials re-
garding the taking of photographs
We conducted our interviews in dug
out during air raids at first. but
later stayed above in order to get
work done. But during all this time
we had no idea that the Germans
were actually so near.
1t was on September 13 and Il
tnat Germany artillery began COM
ing up, the shelling started and we
began to hear the screams of shells
But on September II and 18 the
really heavy shelling began and
from then on 1t became danperou,
to walk on the streets at almost any
time. At night it was worst of ali
the obvious purpose Of the Germans
being through the use of shrapne]
to kill everybody.
Hundreds of horses were found
oeao on the streets each morning.
Smelling worsened and more ar
te!ery Kept coming up. For two
weeks many persons at the Embassy
never left the building at all to "a
further than across the street,
On September 10, despite the sti,,
confident note in Warsaw news
papers, it seemed sure, especially
after a broadcast report from Lon
don, that Warsaw would fall within
lew hours. Two consuls began
burning 1900 blank passports and
many official documents. These
burned so badly, however, that six
OF us had to work constantly for
iour hours to mutilate them. We
1oked about each American passnort
being worth at least 81 900 in prac-
tically any world market-so 81 800 .
700 went up in smoke!
U. S. Flag Taken to Roof.
Ihe second step In preparing for
the German entry was even more
sensational than the burning of
passports and official documents
out came all the available American
nags, the largest 10xl5 feet. We
carried 1t to the roof, thinking that
the German planes might get low
enough to see it.
The others we suspended in the
front and rear of the Embassy in case
OF street fighting and put one small
nag over the dugout in the garden.
Then we sat back and waited. but
the Germans did not come.
A few hours later, William Cramp
one OF the consuls, went downtown
to obtain more records from the con-
sul-generals office. He came back
In an hour reporting that a shell had
made direct hit on the consulate
general and blown out two walls and
destroyed half the office.
AS days went on (by this time I
and the nine consular officials were
living with the refugees at the en-
bassy), We moved lower and lower
below ground. During the last days
more than go Americans and the
Embassy staff were huddled together
some spending "a hours below ground
at time.