Evening star., 1947-01-10
British Envoy Named
lin Trial Of -Four for
Treason in Poland

WARSAW, Jan. 10.-The Brit
ish Ambassador to Poland was
named today before a military
tribunal as having received state
and military secrets from the
outlawed underground WIN or
ganization, accused Of attempt
ing a coup d'etat against the
Polish government.
The charge was disclosed nine
days before the scheduled parlia-
mentary elections. Both Britain
and the United States have pro-
tested that arrangements for the
elections did not insure free voting.
The British Ambassador is Sir
Victor Observation-Disclosures.
The key figure in "a sensational
high treason trial, Count Grocholski,
told the military tribunal that he
had delivered to the Ambassador in
formation obtained by the under
ground and through a former en-
ploye of the Polish Foreign Ministry
who also is co-defendant.
Four Accused of Conspiracy.
The indictment charged Grochol-
ski and three others specifically of
conspiracy to overthrow the gov
ernment in supplying state secrets
to a foreign Ambassador" in
Warsaw.
One of the co-defendants, Wald-
mir Baczak, "a, formerly attached
to the Polish Foreign Ministry,
identified in his testimony the
English Ambassador. il.
(Cavendish- -Bentinck is vet
eran diplomat who has been at
tached to the British Foreign
ONCE since 1918. He at one time
was Assistant Undersecretary of
State. The Warsaw post is his
first ambassadorship.) Z
Defendants with Grocholski and
Baczak are Witold Kalicki, &c. a
captain In the Interior Security
Corps, charged with the protection
Of the lives of members of the gov
ernment and parliament, and a o.
year-old woman, Chrystina Kosio-
rex.
A British Embassy spokesman said
it would be inappropriate" to COM
ment on the trial while it was still
In progress. The Ambassador is fly
ing to London tomorrow. The En-
bassy said he was called there for
Foreign Office consultation regard
ing Poland's elections.
Tommygunners Guard Court.
An armored car patrolled streets
outside the military tribunal while
more than a score of tommygunners
guarded the courtroom.
After Baczak, the first to testify,
named the English Ambassador
the three-judge court went into a
closed session for further testimony.
1t later admonished defendants to
refer to the envoy involved only as
the Ambassador" or certain gen.
tleman."
The underground organization
WIN, meaning freedom and in
dependence" is one of the most
widespread operating in Poland. A
series of trials of WIN leaders are
underway in which the government
is charging that key defendants, In
addition to trying to overthrow the
regime by force, acted as spies for
"a foreign power
Grocnolski, 43, bespectacled, tall
and lean-faced, told the tribunal he
had known the ambassador for 80
years and in recent months re-
newed the acquaintanceship. He
declared that the suggestion for con-
tacting the WIN organization, which
Grocholski earlier joined, was initi-
ated by the ambassador Grochol-
ski insisted that his role in the en-
tire affair was minor and that the
ambassador apparently wanted in
formation in connection with forth
coming elections: ..=
Grocholski, who also is accused of
acting as Gestapo informer dur
ing the Nazi occupation of Warsaw,
categorically denied that charge.