711.00 Pres. Speech 10–5–37/224½
The Ambassador in Poland (Biddle) to President Roosevelt73
My Dear Mr. President: Your magnificent Chicago address created a profound impression throughout Europe. Those nations who enjoy a clear conscience in their conduct of foreign policy greeted your words with genuine enthusiasm, and have received a marked stimulation. On the other hand, as Colonel Beck, Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs, confidentially imparted to me, it has served as a “Stop, Look, and Listen” sign for potential aggressors. He gave every evidence of being profoundly impressed by your statements, and felt that you had, as usual, wisely taken occasion to bring our people to a genuine sense of the realistic—to face the situation as it actually existed throughout the world today. At the same time, the speech, in Colonel Beck’s opinion, undoubtedly represented an expression on your part of the difficulties entailed in pursuing a policy of isolation, under current world conditions. Hence, it appeared to him that in your drive for peace, you had wished it to be known that the United States was interested, and would henceforth evince more active interest in the maintenance of the principles contained in treaties to which the United States was a part.
[Page 152]The Colonel then took occasion to repeat that he considered all the area from Poland’s Eastern frontier to the middle Atlantic, as the Western European culture, and from there on to include the United States, in what might be called the Atlantic culture. To his mind, the United States was increasingly exercising an influence on the Western European civilization, and that any policy or action emanating from so powerful a statesman as yourself would be bound to have a tremendous influence on the whole of the Western world. He was profoundly interested in all you had said, and in the subsequent declaration by the State Department. The Colonel added that the moral weight of your forceful and constructive utterances, not only represented a formidable contribution to the cause of peace, but also went far towards creating a much needed code of international opinion.
Moreover, your address on Pulaski Day74 was received in Government and press circles, and by the public generally, with the utmost enthusiasm. In fact, it would be difficult to describe fully how touched was the nation as a whole, by the amount of thought and real interest which you devoted to an occasion which means so much to the historic Polish-American relationship.
In today’s conversation with the President of the Polish Republic, he asked me to convey to you his deep sense of appreciation of what you said in your Pulaski Day address. He was sincerely touched by your friendly reference to Poland and Polish-American relations. He added that at the time he delivered his own address on that same occasion, he was conscious of the unique relationship between our countries in that he could speak to the Polish-Americans in the United States with a sense of confidence that although they bore an affection for Poland, nevertheless, they were first and foremost loyal American citizens. They had found a place for themselves in the American community, and he was proud that they as a group were advancing in the forward march of our country.
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Faithfully yours,