The Most Dangerous German Agent in America by M. B. B. Biskupski

Author:M. B. B. Biskupski [Biskupski, M. B. B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, Modern, 20th Century, Americas, United States, Biography & Memoir
ISBN: 9781609091767
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Published: 2015-02-28T05:00:00+00:00

A Fond Farewell from a Sinking Ship

Paderewski left the United States to return to a free Poland at the end of November 1918. As he was about to depart on the SS Negantic he received a cable from Hammerling. He wanted to “present to Poland, through you, as a token of our love and esteem, our land and estates in Brody and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska [both in Galicia] near Kraków, provided that city will be the seat of a free independent Polish government, to be used as a summer palace for its [Poland’s] Chief Magistrate. The property is free and clear of indebtedness.” Hammerling would literally buy his way into the good graces of the next president of Poland. It was an effort to cultivate the mighty that he had employed since the anthracite years.

After praising Paderewski extensively and wishing him well in combat against the “evil forces arrayed against justice and freedom,” Hammerling got down to business: “should you upon arrival decide that I could be of assistance to you in Paris at any time, do not hesitate to cable me at once.”62 He had tried American patriotism to extricate himself from an awkward situation. Now it was time to give Polish patriotism a try. Also, he was about to be sued in New York.

Hammerling had courted Paderewski since the latter’s arrival in the United States in 1915. Unfortunately we know nothing about this relationship. The anti-German Polish press in the United States, which normally would have been passionate about exposing a German agent like Hammerling, was also in thrall to Paderewski and never uttered an unkind word about the maestro. Only the insignificant press of the Polish left made an occasional snide comment about Paderewski, and even they were very guarded as he had become persona ultissima grata with the Wilson administration.

Hammerling cultivated Paderewski’s ne’er-do-well stepson Kazimierz Górski, seeing in him a well-placed link in the economic affairs of newly created Poland. Just before leaving the United States, Hammerling created something called the “Poland Export Corporation.” Hammerling made Górski the president, a convenience because of Górski’s relationship to Paderewski who had just become premier of Poland. He promised the naïve Górski that the corporation would make $100,000 profit yearly of which Górski would retain a quarter.63 Hammerling’s name did not appear on the letterhead. The Corporation had large ambitions, and they all were based on Górski’s relationships; using connections in politics to further business adventures was Hammerling’s specialty. He dreamed of the economic reconstruction of large parts of eastern Europe.64

In early May 1919, Górski sent his mother a letter that he wanted Prime Minister Paderewski to sign (a high-ranking member of government would be a poor second choice), a letter pledging that the government of Poland was “most sympathetic” to the Corporation and would welcome the cooperation with it by American companies because the Corporation was a “pioneer” in creating Polish-American economic ties. In a conclusion of particular gall for Górski to add, he wanted Paderewski to promise to

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