BX August 23, 1919
Nursing Sister Amorita Heath Guest of Paderewski of Poland – Brantford Red Cross Girl Had Wonderful Trip to Polish Capital – Is in Warsaw
The following is a letter in part from Nursing Sister Amorita Heath, daughter of Major Heath, Dalhousie Street, telling of her Journey from Paris to Warsaw Poland:
July 22, 1919
Warsaw Poland
Care American Food Commission,
Hotel Bristol
Dear Sister,
Have just arrived in Warsaw, after a most wonderful and interesting journey. Mr. and Mrs. Paderewski brought us here on their special train and we certainly did travel “de luxe.” They were charming to us, too. We came through France, Switzerland, Austria, Czeko Slovakia and Poland. I shall never forget the majestic beauty of the Tyrolean Alps.
At the last station before we reached Poland proper Madame Paderewski asked us if we would not like to put our feet on Polish soil and when we got off the train shook hands with us all and welcomed us to Poland. She told us this place used to belong to Poland, and that it soon would be restored. When we reached the present boundary the train quietly slowed down and stopped. There was a quiet, serious looking crowd waiting – soldiers, civilians and ragged, barefooted, hatless women and children. It was pouring rain, and not one of them had an umbrella. The rain was dripping from the hair – and ragged clothing of the women and children.
Not a word was spoken until Paderewski appeared, and when he stepped off the train the mayor of the town, an intelligent looking, but poorly dressed man, came forward and addressed him. Then Paderewski spoke. We could not understand what he said except “Bolshevism,” but we were so affected by the tone of his voice, the eager manner in which they listened, and the whole aspect of the scene that we all shed tears. It is pathetic this forlorn little nation in its determined struggle for existence. After Paderewski had finished speaking the crowd cheered and sang the National hymn. We arrived in Warsaw the next day and there was a big crowd at the station to greet their president, as they call him, though he is really the prime minister. Soldiers were lined up and a band was playing the mournful style of music which they seem to use.
Madame Paderewski’s arms were full of flowers which little girls had given her. They had expected to stay at the hotel, but the palace had been prepared for them, and they were taken there. The palace has not been occupied by the Poles for over one hundred and twenty-five years, when their last king lived there. The Russians have occupied it since. The evening of that day we arrived Madame Paderewski sent two Y.W.C.A. (Polish American) girls to our hotel to see if we were comfortable. They asked us to tea the next day. Madame Paderewski was there, some officers and a Polish doctor from Pittsburgh, who is now in Haller’s army.
Yesterday we were invited to tea at the palace. There were quite a number of people there and Madame took us through the palace afterward. It is beautiful and compares well with Versailles. We have not been assigned to any work yet. There are ten more doctors and five hundred enlisted men coming from Paris, whom we expect to work with clearing up the villages and taking care of the sick. It will be hard and not very agreeable work, but it is expected that it will be finished by the middle of November. People in America do not seem to realize how Poland has suffered through the war in some villages, there being noting to eat but grass and they are dying daily of disease and starvation. I have never seen so many people ragged and bare footed as I have seen since coming here. There are a great many deformed too. In spite of all their suffering they are determined to be an independent nation with their much-beloved Paderewski at their head.
