ANGRY NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23353, 23 May 1939, Page 11

ANGRY NOTES

POLAND—DANZIG SHOOTING SEQUEL REPARATION DEMANDS SERIOUS SITUATION By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received May 22, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 22 Strong demands and counterdemands between the Polish Government and the Nazi-controlled Danzig Senate have immediately followed the incident on the East Prussian frontier, in which a German crowd, including many men in uniform, set fire to and destroyed a Polish Customs house at Ivalthof, and later a Danzig citizen, lierr Gruebner, was fatally shot. Poland has sent a Note to the Danzig Senate demanding a stringent inquiry into the incident, reparations for the damage done, and assurances of tho safety of Polish citizens in the Free City. The Danzig Senate has sent Poland a counter-Note demanding compensation for Gruebner's relatives, an apology from the Polish Government, and tiie surrender of a Pole named Marawski, who is alleged to havo fired tho fatal shot. Differing Accounts The Polish and Danzig accounts of the incident differ widely. Warsaw alleges that a counsellor at the Polish Legation, M. Perowski, went out to the frontier post at Kalthof to inspect the damage caused by tho fire, leaving his car near the station. Five Germans attacked the chauffeur, who fired his revolver twice in tho air and then fired on the nttackers, wounding Gruebner, who later died. Danzig officials give a different version. They say the occupants of the car, in which were recognised the counsellor at the Polish Legation, the president of tho Polish railway, and the chief inspector of the Polish Customs, fired on a German bystander, and then escaped in a railway engine. Danzig Senate's Allegations The Danzig Senate has protested strongly to the Polish Consul. Hie Senate states in a communique that the victim of the incident was "a Danzig citizen named Gruebner, shot by a Polish citizen named Marawski without reason." The communique proceeds: "The conduct of Polish Customs inspectors in Kalthof toward German and Danzig women stirred a crowd to demonstrate before the Polish Customs house, Polish property or person was injured. The police intervened, as a result of which the affair -was 'liquidated' and tho Polish diplomatic representative in Danzig was advised to that effect. "Nevertheless, the counsellor of the Polish Legation in Danzig, M. Perowski, with several Polish Customs officials, went to Kalthof, in spite of the fact that the investigation of political incidents is tho Concern of Danzig officials. An Innocent Party "It was established that tho fatal shot at Gruebner came from an occupant of M. Perowski's car. Gruebner had been at Marienberg all day and was not concerned with the Kalthof demonstration. He left Marienberg by taxi after midnight, was blinded at Kalthof by the lights of M. Perowski's car and, quitting the taxi in order to ascertain the cause of the trouble, was killed by two shots. ' "The occupants of the Polish car left Kalthof in a locomotive in the direction of Dirschau, Poland. The police confiscated the Polish car, in which was found a loaded pistol and nlso an empty revolver holster. They established that the fatal shot was fired from a Polish army pistol. Gruebner and the driver of his taxi were both, unarmed." Tho frontier post is a total wreck, and it is impossible to cheek those entering from East Prussia. Polish newspapers declare that the men who attacked the Kalthof Customs house were Germans from East Prussia and not Danzig citizens. It is emphasised that Polish Customs officials gave no cause for a provocative act. The Kalthof police arrested four Polish railwaymen.