611.60c15/3: Telegram
The Minister in Poland ( Gibson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 30—9:52 a.m.]
177. Department’s 131, March 24, 4 p.m. received and communicated today.
Several annoying instances which have recently occurred obliged me to take a very positive stand on 22nd instance without awaiting Department’s instructions. I expressed myself very frankly and forcibly at the Foreign Office. As a result there have been two meetings of the Cabinet and several officials, the Foreign Minister among them, have been sent to assure me that they will do everything in their power to remove cause of complaint. Several officials of the Ministries for Foreign Affairs and Finance have been assigned to attend to pending American questions and I am assured that obstructions and trouble makers will be severely dealt with. …
A high official of the Foreign Office yesterday thanked me for having spoken my mind with so much vigor. He said that his representations on our behalf in separate cases had not succeeded against a procrastination and red tape and that it required a bomb shell to awaken Cabinet to the seriousness of situation into which they were drifting.
Since the 22nd there have been a number of incidents of opposition to American interests to give point to my remarks.
We have already secured satisfactory action in a number of minor questions. Although the Government has had a shock I cannot yet judge whether the shock is severe enough to overcome general inertia and disorganization. For this reason I am glad to have Department’s note and representations to Polish Legation to reinforce what I have said.