WARSAW’S ARCHITECT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20050, 23 September 1939, Page 2

WARSAW’S ARCHITECT

LABOUR DESTROYED LORD MAYOR’S WORK Modern Warsaw is being destroyed in the presence of its architect, the present Lord Mayor, according to a Polish officer who spoke during a Daventry broadcast. Warsaw's history dated from the thirteenth century, lie said. During 'he last 300 years, it had been the scene of constant fighting, seizures and occupations, but in November, 1018, it became again the capital of a revived Poland. When the Poles took it over it was hungry and dirty. It had a population of 800,000, which had since increased lo .more than 1,000,000. The present Lord Mayor, M. Starzynski, had been the architect of its establishment as a great modern city, and his dreams and ambitions had been coming true day by day. He was immensely popular, not so much because of his personality as because of his work. He had been changing Warsaw into one of the greatest and most beautiful capitals of Europe, and now he was the artisan of its defence. Many of the things which he had created had been destroyed since the outbreak of war. The Gothic cathedral and art gallerv and oilier great buildings had been destroyed, but the heart of Poland had not been destroyed.

The men and women of Warsaw were defending their city. Men. who were fighting to the last needed no words of comfort or cheer, but deserved words of admiration and pity. i