760C.61/2–543
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The Ambassador of Poland called to see me this evening at my request.
I told the Ambassador that I had twice discussed with the President the communications and memoranda which the Ambassador had been good enough to send me32 by instruction of General Sikorski, concerning the reported intention of the Soviet Government that all Polish citizens within the Soviet Union at the present time would henceforth be automatically regarded as Soviet and not Polish nationals. I said [Page 329] that the President was fully cognizant of the very great importance of this question and all that it involved. I went on to say that the President had asked me to let the Ambassador know that he would be glad to receive Mr. Ciechanowski about the middle or latter part of next week. The President had also asked me to make it clear to the Polish Government that it was necessary for the Polish Government “to keep its shirt on” and that while, of course, this Government’s sympathetic and friendly interest in Poland and its desire to see Poland reestablished as a powerful European state had already been officially made known to the Polish Government through the President’s recent letter to General Sikorski, this Government must remain the only judge of what it could do to be helpful in a question of this kind and, even more, the moment which would be most propitious for rendering its assistance. I concluded by saying that the Ambassador could rest assured that every possible consideration would be given to the views set forth by the Polish Government and to the requests formulated.
The Ambassador seemed to understand the circumstances fully and expressed great appreciation of the President’s message.