Mr. Vice-president, Your Honor, Mr. Mayor, Distinguised Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen:

As a Minister of Poland to the United States, it is my privilege today to express to the People of the great American City of Chicago, the heartfelt greetings of the thirty million friends of the United States of America who constitute the Polish Nation.

The entire Polish Nation has celebrated the Sesqui-Centennial Anniversary of Independence in a way in which only national anniversaries of Polish History 2have hitherto been celebrated.

The desire to manifest the sincerely friendly feelings on the part of Poland by demonstrations of spontaneous admiration for this great Democracy was but the culminating act in the long sequence of historical links of the past.

It was by the expression of that community of ideals and aims, which have been the solid spiritual link between the two nations from the very first page of American independent history.

The foundations of Polish-American friendship were laid upon the battle-fields of your nations' fight for freedom.

This friendship, which did not spring from any political or material motives, but was born of the common love for liberty, equality and justice, will forever be symbolized by the pure and noble figures of Kosciuszko and Pulaski.

Those two beloved sons of Poland have become historical figures in America as 3they are in Poland.

They were as American as they were Polish, in that, that their Souls were fired with the ardent love of those lofty ideals for which the Fathers of the American Revolution fought, and in the name of which they won a decisive victory destined to benefit all humanity.

It is a matter of pride for Poland that the anniversary of American Independence should be at the same time the anniversary of the birth of Polish American friendship.

A century and a half has elapsed and this great Democracy has attained an unprecedented development, providing the creative force of those principles upon which it is founded, --proving that nations can only develop fully their constructive Qualities and their virtues of citizenship, if they are free and inspired by the sacred fire of patriotism and service.

The United States set out one hundred and fifty years ago to fulfill a mission 4of the utmost importance.

That mission consisted in introducing into a world government by tyranny and autocracy the breath of Democracy, of equality and justice, the reign of the principle of righteousness over force.

History proves that the responsible mission has been fully accomplished.

The world has come to realize that only free nations, where every citizen has equal rights and equal chances, can attain the utmost development.

The great venture of the Fathers of the American Revolution, has been fully justified by the fruit which it has borne.

The history of the United States has been an inspiring example to all nations.

For that, in itself, the American Nation deserves credit for the preservation of civilization.

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The Polish Nation has much to be grateful for to the United States.

It will forever bear in grateful memory that after the World War, the American Nation did not hesitate to make the restoration of Poland's Independence, one of the essential conditions of permanent peace.

It will forever remember that during the period of her oppression, her sons and daughters received a warm welcome in this free land, that they were allowed to settle here and to preserve and develop their best natural characteristics and virtues.

Today the Americans of Polish descent are the moral successors of Kosciuszko and Pulaski, inasmuch as they are the living proof that the same intimate community of ideals continues to exist, that the Poles can become American Patriots, not only in time of war, but in time of peace.

The chronicles of the American of Polish descent show that their love for the country and faith of their fathers, their attachment to their traditions and 6language are rightly considered in this country as the standards of citizenship and of their loyalty to the United States.

They have proved by their indisputable and loving loyalty to the country of their adoption that the Polish Soul did not need to undergo any lengthy process of adaptation to absorb and make known the high ideals of American citizenship and patriotism.

The world has recently passed through struggles so gigantic and trials so severe that it will take many more years of peaceful work to heal the wounds of humanity and to restore it to normal conditions.

This work calls for the closest cooperation among nations of good will, for that cooperation, which is based on mutual confidence and eliminates misunderstanding.

This country has continuously advocated such cooperation, it has at all times 7shown its readiness to do its part in helping to solve those great problems with which the world is faced.

Poland looks to the United States with full confidence, convinced that the cooperation offered by this great Democracy will always be inspired by sentiments of sincerity and justice, that it will be genuine and permanent, as it has been in the past, and that the determination on the part of this country to avoid getting involved in international problems of local importance makes its cooperation all the more disinterested, and therefore, valuable where questions of world-wide magnitude and importance are concerned.

The future of the world depends on the fullest development of cooperation and service.