received, in prison, a hamper of vodka and caviar from Wieniawa. The purpose of that story, in Wat's memoirs "My century", is to contrast his treatment at the hands of the Second Polish Republic with the vicious and barbaric treatment he was to receive in Soviet prisons during the war. In November 1921, Wieniawa became the Polish military attaché in Bucharest, Romania. He was associated with making the Polish-Romanian convention which was signed in 1922. In 1926 he passed his exams in High War School. He soon became a commander of , the most prestigious and representative Polish cavalry division, which he commanded until 1930. During the May Coup of 1926, he was one of Piłsudski's officers who helped him to organise the coup. In 1930–32, he was commander of I Cavalry Division and, for some time, of II Cavalry Division. In 1932, he was promoted by President Ignacy Mościcki to the rank of . He was commander of the , from 1932 to 14 May 1938. In 1938 he was promoted to Major-General, . From 1938 to 13 June 1940, he was the Polish Ambassador in Rome. One-day presidency On 17 September 1939, he was nominated president of Poland by the retiring President Ignacy Mościcki. On the same day, Poland was invaded by the Soviet Union, and he took the train from Rome to Paris to take on his new role. His appointment was published in the Official Journal, Monitor Polski, on 25 September 1939. His appointment was blackballed by the French Third Republic and also opposed by Władysław Sikorski. After the capitulation of France, he emigrated to New York City by travelling via Lisbon. Many sources do not list Wieniawa as president but merely as "designated successor". However, according to the then constitution, when the President cannot execute his powers (as when Mościcki was interned in Romania and it was clear that he would not be released unless he resigned), the designated successor automatically became president. After receiving appointment or becoming president, Wieniawa-Długoszowski asked Cardinal August Hlond to become Prime Minister. Hlond refused and referred to Wieniawa as "Mr. President". Also, in a press statement from President Lech Wałęsa's press secretary on 21 September 1994 to Dziennik Polski, Wieniawa-Długoszowski was referred to as one of the legitimate presidents-in-exile. According to some opinions, Mościcki had meant to pass his office to Wieniawa-Długoszowski as caretaker until the office could be