660c. 11212/34
I shall have the honor to keep the Department informed of the results of
any future conversations which I may have with Mr. Kwiatkowski on the
subject.
[Enclosure]
Memorandum of a Conversation Between the
American Minister in Poland (Stetson), the American Commercial
Attaché (Allen), and Certain Officials of the Polish Ministry of Industry and
Commerce, May 17, 1928
Mr. Stetson announced his desire to open the old question of a trade
treaty with the United States, sketching the course the negotiations
had taken during the past two years.2 He
explained that the American Legation in Warsaw had for some time
refrained from any initiative in the matter, at the express request
of Mr. Ciechanowski, the Polish Minister in Washington. A recent
visit to the United States had, however, given Mr. Stetson an
opportunity of talking with Mr. Ciechanowski and of conferring with
the Department of State, [Page 925]
whereupon it was deemed advisable for Mr. Stetson to solicit an
opinion from the competent Polish officials in Warsaw as to whether
the present might not be a favorable time to define and discuss any
differences in point of view which it may be necessary to resolve
before a commercial treaty between the United States and Poland can
be concluded.
Mr. Kwiatkowski replied that far from looking upon the question as
old, he was inclined to view it as a new one, because the Poland of
today was far different from the Poland of the time when the subject
first came up. He expressed himself as most cordial to the
suggestion of the American Minister and eager to facilitate
discussions in whatever way he could. He emphasized his hope that
practical aspects would characterize any discussions which might
take place to the exclusion of academic or theoretical
considerations.
After acknowledging his pleasure at meeting an attitude of mind so
receptive, Mr. Stetson took occasion to allude to the Polish-German
commercial treaty negotiations. He had observed an opinion during
his trip abroad, doubtless deliberately inspired, that failure of
the two parties to agree in spite of repeated attempts was an
incurable disposition on the part of the Poles which rendered
reasonable dealing with them impossible. If, in the face of such
propaganda, Poland might now speedily negotiate a trade treaty with
the United States, she would furnish a most effective denial to
these damaging insinuations of third parties, and at the same time,
further fortify the country’s good reputation abroad.
Mr. Kwiatkowski’s reply showed that he was deeply impressed by this
thought.
Mr. Stetson continued that he would be glad to begin work as early as
officials from the Polish side might find it convenient and wondered
whether the Polish Government was ready to discuss objections it
found to American proposals already advanced.
Mr. Kwiatkowski said that the matter would first be considered by a
special commission who could make a report to him in about two
weeks. After studying the report, he would be pleased to confer
again with Mr. Stetson with a view to arranging for appropriate
exchange of opinions and full consideration of the problem. Here Mr.
Kwiatkowski digressed into some affable but sincere remarks about
American co-operation with Poland, the substance of which was that
in effective benefits and absence of friction, the results already
visible of American participation in Polish affairs was truly
astounding and exceeded anything that could possibly have been
imagined a few years ago. Digressing even further, Mr. Kwiatkowski
referred to his joy and pride, the harbor of Gdynia, and asked
whether Mr. Stetson had seen it lately. It so happened that Mr.
Stetson had just returned from a [Page 926] trip which included a visit to Gdynia and was
able to make several remarks concerning the accomplishment of the
project which were highly pleasing to Mr. Kwiatkowski.
In taking leave, Mr. Stetson offered any assistance to the Commission
he could render which might ease their immediate task.
