860C.01/84½a
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
Dear Mr. President: On November 10, 1917, this Government recognized the Polish National Committee with headquarters in Paris and with representatives in France, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain and the United States. Mr. Paderewski is the representative of the Committee in this country. Previous to recognition by this Government, the Polish National Committee had been recognized by Great Britain, France and Italy. The avowed purpose of the Committee is to further the cause of a united and independent Poland in allied countries and in the United States. The Committee’s status cannot be considered that of a Provisional Government. Whatever formal character it may have is the result of recognition by the above mentioned countries.
[Page 92]Up to the present time our recognition of this Committee has been, without doubt, justified at least by the efforts of Mr. Paderewski and his associates in this country.
I attach herewith a letter and a memorandum62 sent me by Mr. Paderewski concerning, among other things, the recruiting of Poles not subject to the draft in this country.
I have been reliably informed that the efforts of the Polish National Committee in the allied countries have been equally successful along somewhat different lines. Moral support has been secured in England and in Italy for the cause of an independent Poland and in addition to this in France the Committee working in conjunction with the French Government has constituted a small but determined force of men who are willing to fight for the cause represented by the Committee.
The work of this Committee will be seriously crippled unless funds now are provided by the Allies and the United States. Up to the present time the Committee has been financed by private subscriptions.
Within the last few weeks I have received several memoranda from the British Embassy requesting to be advised of this Government’s attitude towards furnishing financial aid in conjunction with Great Britain to the Polish National Committee for the relief of Polish refugees in Russia, the necessities of the Polish Army and the continuation of the organizations of the Polish National Committee in the allied countries and in the United States. I hesitated to submit the matter to you until I heard direct from Mr. Paderewski.
I attach herewith a letter I received from him a few days ago.62a
Mr. Paderewski asks for financial assistance for three distinct purposes:
1—Polish National Committee expenses.
2—Relief of Polish refugees in Russia.
3—Five hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of bringing certain Polish officers from Russia to assist in the Polish Army.
If you approve I shall take up (2) with the Red Cross and (3) with the War Department with the recommendation that these matters be promptly investigated and that assistance be extended if it is at all practicable.
I have been informally advised that with respect to (1) the British Government will be glad to share these expenses with this Government. The view of the British Government is that it is highly desirable to keep in close touch with the activities of the Polish National Committee, not only for present purposes, but on account of [Page 93] obvious advantages to be gained ultimately when peace negotiations are being carried on. I entirely agree with this view. At the present time I believe that considerable assistance can be obtained through this organization in securing political and military information concerning the Central Powers for the use of this Government. The agents of the Polish National Committee have peculiar advantages in securing such information on account of their activities in Sweden and Switzerland and at the Vatican.
My thought is that if you are willing to advance from your war fund, say, a maximum of thirty thousand dollars a month to be placed under the control of an agent of this Department who would be attached to the American Embassy at Paris and to be used by him to assist the organizations of the Polish National Committee (a like sum to be provided by the British Government under the supervision of one of its agents), the understanding being that the Polish National Committee in return therefor will secure and place at the disposal of the British Government and this Government all information of a political and military character secured by its agents, great benefit would accrue therefrom both to the Polish National Committee and to the Governments of Great Britain and the United States.
I know of no other way by which the assistance requested by Mr. Paderewski can be furnished by this Government, inasmuch as the Treasury Department is not authorized to lend money except to established governments at war with the Central Powers.
I shall be grateful to you if you can furnish me with your directions with respect to the foregoing.
Faithfully yours,