Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, General, The Soviet Union, Volume I

860C.01B11/25: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé to the Polish Government in Exile (Achilles), at London

Washington, January 4, 1941—8 p.m.

Polish series No. 1. Your Polish series 4, December 24, 10 p.m.⁵⁴ The following summary of a conversation with the Polish Chargé d’Affaires⁵⁵ is for your information.

The Polish Chargé d’Affaires called at the Department at his own request on December 30.⁵⁶ He stated that his Government in London had telegraphed that the matter of withdrawing Polish Government delegates and representatives from the United States before the arrival of the new Polish ambassador was not entirely clear to it. He asked therefore whether further information could be given him.

It was explained to the Chargé that this matter had not been discussed previously with his Embassy but had formed the subject of communications between the Department and his Government in London and that his Government had agreed voluntarily to withdraw before the arrival in the United States of the new ambassador all its delegates and representatives with the exception of its principal diplomatic officers in Washington.

The Chargé was then told that as the agreement of his Government to follow the practice adopted by us had been notified to us by our Chargé in London, we looked to his Government to fulfill the agreement along the lines it had indicated to us. At the same time it was emphasized that no question of personalities had entered into this exchange of communications but that the general policy and practice of this Government to deal only with principal diplomatic representatives of the countries represented in Washington had been applied.

To this the Polish Chargé replied that he knew that this matter had been presented to his Government in London but that he had not been kept informed of all the details. He would, he added, tell his Government that we expected the agreement to be respected in the form entered into by it.

Please arrange to see Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs at earliest opportunity and make it plain to him that we expect to be definitely informed before the new ambassador leaves for the United States that the Government of Poland had complied fully with the agreement for withdrawing delegates and representatives from the United States.

Hull

54. Not printed. According to this telegram, apparently the Polish Foreign Minister was considering it sufficient for Dr. Rajchman to terminate his mission upon Ciechanowski’s arrival in the United States rather than before arrival, as had been agreed.
55. Michal Kwapiszewski, Counselor of the Polish Embassy.
56. Separate memorandum of this conversation not printed.