860C.01B11/29: Telegram
The Chargé to the Polish Government in Exile ( Achilles ) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 11—10:45 a.m.]
Polish Series No. 4. Your No. 3.63 Occasion was taken at President Raczkiewicz’s New Year reception this morning to communicate substance of your telegram, which is appreciated, to the Foreign Minister. He had opened subject by handing me following note verbale:
“In view of the fact that Doctor Ludwik Rajchman has not yet left the United States and as it appears from his last telegrams does not seem to have understood the telegraphic instructions addressed to him on November 19, [1940] and January 7, 1941, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs has today telegraphed to him as follows: ‘Sorry misunderstanding but cannot adopt any other attitude but request your immediate departure otherwise shall be forced with great regret withdraw your diplomatic passport—Zaleski.’ The Minister trusts that this definite summons to Doctor Rajchman to leave the United States, together with the threat of the application of the only sanction which the Polish Government can apply under the circumstances—will finally clear up any doubt which the Department of State might have had in the matter.”
He added orally that he had now done everything he could in the matter.
[Page 231]The President during a brief conversation casually expressed hope that Mr. Ciechanovski would soon be able to proceed to the United States. Prime Minister Sikorski referred to the matter at some length, the gist of his remarks being that he greatly regretted that it had been necessary for Mr. Ciechanovski to delay his departure, that it was unfortunate that a misunderstanding had arisen and that he knew of no action which the Polish Government could take beyond the Foreign Minister’s latest telegram to Rajchman. I replied in the sense of your number 3.
Mr. Ciechanovski inquired on personal grounds whether I thought the note verbale would solve the matter as he had made alternative reservations on ships leaving Lisbon January 24 and 31. I replied that that would depend on whether or not Rajchman obeyed the instructions sent him.
With a view to forestalling a future contention by the Poles that they had done everything possible but that Rajchman still refused to leave and in view of last sentence of note verbale it would appear advisable to reply without delay if Department approves, by memorandum to the effect that my Government trusts that this latest request to Dr. Rajchman will finally remedy situation the Polish Government had agreed would be remedied before the new Ambassador’s arrival.
- See footnote 62, above.↩