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

740.0011 European War 1939/13436

The Ambassador to the Polish Government in Exile (Biddle) to the Secretary of State

[Polish Series] No. 25

London, July 16, 1941.
[Received July 24.]

Sir: I have the honor to refer to my despatch, Polish Series, No. 23, July 10, 1941,⁸⁹ and in connection with Polish-Russian conversations, to report the following information regarding a further talk which took place on July 11.

General Sikorski disclosed that he and Polish Foreign Minister Zaleski had conferred with British Foreign Minister Eden, previous to Mr. Eden’s inviting Russian Ambassador Maisky to join them. In the course of this preliminary conference, General Sikorski and Minister Zaleski had found the British Government in complete support of the Polish Government’s negotiations with Russia.

After Ambassador Maisky joined the conference, a conversation of one hour and a half had ensued. While Ambassador Maisky expressed his Government’s accord with most of the points raised by the Polish Government, two questions remained which he had to refer to Moscow:

(a) The question of political prisoners: In pointing out the position of his Government in this matter, Ambassador Maisky disclosed that his Government did not wish to release prisoners of this category. As justification for this stand, the Ambassador maintained that these political prisoners were Fascists, and that many of them were not Poles, but Jews and Ukrainians.

In stating the Polish Government’s case in the matter, General Sikorski and Minister Zaleski had insisted upon their release, emphasizing at the same time that it was for the Polish and not the Russian Government, to judge or detain these prisoners. Moreover, irrespective of race or creed, they were citizens of Poland.

(b) The question of prisoners of war: Ambassador Maisky reiterated a statement which he had formerly made to Mr. Eden, i. e. that there were no more than 20,000 Polish prisoners of this category.

In response, General Sikorski drew Ambassador Maisky’s attention to the fact that according to Krasnaja Zwiezda of October 1940⁹⁰ there were 9361 Polish officers, and 181,223 soldiers, making a total of 190,584 Polish prisoners of war interned in Russia. He moreover said that it was his and his associates’ belief that even this latter number did not account for all Polish troops taken prisoner, nor did it include the number of youths of military age currently held in other than military prison camps. (In this connection, General Sikorski stated to me his opinion that Ambassador Maisky’s reference to 20,000 Polish war prisoners indicated that the majority of Poles had been sent to labor camps or to Siberia and Central Asia. Moreover, the General told me that he had stated this opinion also to Mr. Eden).

In concluding his disclosure of the above information General Sikorski said that the conversation as a whole had been carried on in a friendly tone and that it had been very much helped by the presence of Mr. Eden. Moreover, Mr. Maisky was wiring for further instructions and the negotiations would be resumed at an early date.⁹¹

Respectfully yours,

A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.

89. Not printed; but see Polish Series telegram No. 27, July 6, to the Department, p. 240.
90. The reference is doubtless intended to the Krasnaya Zvyezda (Red Star) article of September 17, 1940, publication of the People’s Commissariat of Defence of the Soviet Union. See also Republic of Poland, Polish-Soviet Relations, 1918–1943, Official Documents, pp. 26, 38, 119, and 149.
91. Polish-Soviet negotiations for a treaty were steadily carried on with British assistance. Ambassador Biddle, in his Polish Series despatch No. 26, July 17, 1941, supplied a copy of a British draft of July 15 for such a treaty, and reported that Prime Minister Churchill had written a letter to General Sikorski “urging him in behalf of the Polish Government, to do his part towards accelerating an early conclusion of the Polish-Russian negotiations.” (740.0011 European War 1939/13464) The Ambassador likewise sent the text of two British proposed drafts of July 17, and of a British note to the Polish Government, in Polish Series despatch No. 29, July 24, 1941 (740.0011 European War 1939/13584).