File No. 860c.01/125
The Minister in Switzerland ( Stovall) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 18, 7.15 p.m.]
4353. Telegraphic report in local press that Polish Council of State has made formal proposals to Central Empires relative to formation Polish state on the basis alliance with Central Powers. Proposals said to contain eight following points:
- (1)
- Customs union and military convention with Central Powers;
- (2)
- Unification of traffic and liberty of navigation on Vistula, with right of Poland to use Danzig as free port;
- (3)
- Extend frontier for Poland conforming to ethnographical conditions;
- (4)
- Suppression of line of demarcation between territories administered by Germany and by Austria;
- (5)
- Autonomy of Polish internal administration as regards financial policies;
- (6)
- Central Powers to preserve permanent control with seat of administration at Warsaw;
- (7)
- Question of Polish dynasty to be settled in near future;
- (8)
- Poland to form an army organized by German officers and by Polish officers trained by former; Poland considers it necessary to have an army to assure its independence.
From confidential source believed to emanate from Polish Regency Government: Prince Radziwill and Count Ronikier have proceeded [Page 874] to German General Headquarters on behalf of Polish Regency, not at summons of German Government. Polish question in general aspect will not be discussed but German views on partition Galicia will be sought, since general Polish policy depends thereon. Poles wish suppression of German-Austrian internal economic administration and equal voice with Germany for Austria-Hungary in Polish affairs and to learn German views as to White Russia and eastern frontier of Poland.
At conference in Berlin representative of Lithuanian Taryba and Count Ronikier signed on behalf of Polish and Lithuanian Governments provisional agreement [whereby] Poland agrees to help in creation of great historical Lithuania, including all White Russia. In return Lithuania will support Polish aspirations in other quarters. Relations between the two as foreshadowed to be so close that frontier would practically cease to exist. From information at hand possibility seems foreshadowed that Germany hoped to gain Polish and Lithuanian sympathy by conceding Cholm and southern Galicia to Poles, portions of White Russia to Lithuania. Germany thus would abandon Ukraine and Bolshevik Russia hoping to erect defense in east by well-disposed barrier states and perhaps thus be able to withdraw German division now in east. Weakness of such policy would be present disorder in Poland and future uncertainty of this state in view of its traditional antagonism to Germany and sympathy for Entente.