840.48 Refugees/952
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat)
The Polish Ambassador called this morning by reference from Mr. Messersmith. He said that he had received definite instructions to approach the American Government and asked them to advocate the inclusion of Poland in the Intergovernmental Committee in London. He repeated many times and in many ways that Poland believed that the Committee, by limiting its activities to refugees from Germany, was in fact putting a premium on the mistreatment of the Jews. He feared that unless some gesture were made to Poland to show that its problems were being dealt with on a parity with Germany there might be many anti-Semitic outbursts in Poland. I explained to the Ambassador that the inclusion of Poland in the Intergovernmental Committee would change its status completely in that the members at present were all potentially receiving countries whereas Poland was a sending country. I would naturally refer his request to Mr. Hull and Mr. Welles but I had seen no disposition at present to favor a change of the fundamental nature which he advocated.
The Ambassador then said that he was going to get in touch with Mr. Taylor before he sailed. I told him that as it happened Mr. Taylor had telephoned me about an hour before the Ambassador came in. Mr. Taylor had seen the Polish Consul General in New York. [Page 836] Mr. Taylor’s point of view was that it would be a great mistake for Poland at this time to raise the questions mentioned; if she did so she might seriously complicate the work of the Committee and make more difficult an extension of its functions.
The Ambassador again reiterated that it was a frightfully urgent matter and that we really should do something to meet Poland’s point of view. I told him that we were faced with an acute situation and that the acute situation must be dealt with before we came to discussing a more chronic situation.