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

860C.01/578

Draft Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Ambassador to the Polish Government in Exile (Biddle), at London⁹⁹

Washington, August 5, 1941.

Your Polish series no. 30, August 2, 3 p.m., Paragraph 3.

1. The Polish Ambassador called informally at the Department on the morning of July 30.¹ He said that he had received a telegram from Zaleski informing him in confidence that under British pressure the Polish Government was being compelled to sign an agreement with the Soviet Union which did not, in Zaleski’s opinion, provide the proper safeguards for Poland. Zaleski and two other ministers, therefore, were submitting their resignations.

The Ambassador added that Zaleski had requested him to endeavor to prevail upon the American Government to intercede with the British on behalf of Poland. The Polish Ambassador specifically requested that the American Government suggest informally to the British Government that the latter permit the Polish Government to issue at the time of the announcement of the agreement a statement substantially as follows: “The Government of Poland in entering into the agreement with the Government of the Soviet Union has not in any way admitted any change in its pre-war territorial boundaries or the existence of any basis for the discussion of such changes.”

On July 31 the Department received telegram no. 3292 of July 30, 4 p.m. from the American Embassy in London in which was set forth the text of Eden’s note to Sikorski stating that the British Government does not recognize any territorial changes affected in Poland since August 1939. In view of this clear statement on the part of the British Government there appeared to be no reason for the American Government to follow the suggestion of the Polish Ambassador.² Official circles in Washington did not look with disfavor upon the agreement as drafted since they had no exact information as to what was contemplated until the receipt of London’s telegram referred to above.

2. This Government feels that if the war is to be kept upon moral plane it must continue to follow the policy of taking no action which might with any justification be interpreted as an abandonment of its policy of refusing to recognize territorial changes brought about as the result of armed aggression. It was, therefore, pleased that the British Government by handing to the Polish Government the note referred to made it clear that the signing of the treaty was not to be regarded as a recognition of the acquisition by the Soviet Union of Polish territory seized through the Soviet aggression of 1939. This Government is also adhering to its policy of taking upon itself no obligations with regard to what the boundaries of continental Europe are to be following the conclusion of the present war and sincerely hopes that the British Government will follow a like policy.

3. Please bring the contents of this telegram to the attention of Ambassador Winant. It is suggested that you and he continue to remind the officials of the Governments to which you are accredited of our policies as outlined in paragraph numbered 2 above and to impress upon them how advantageous it would be if the American and British policies in this respect could be kept uniform.

99. The last sentence of this draft telegram was crossed out by Ray Atherton, Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs. The entire telegram was not sent apparently because Under Secretary of State Welles, in a memorandum of August 6, 1941, to Secretary of State Hull questioned “the wisdom of going quite so far in this proposed instruction to Ambassador Winant as is done in the text” in sections 2 and 3. Mr. Henderson directed that the draft telegram should be kept in the Department files. (860C.01/578)
1. Memorandum of conversation not printed.
2. In a memorandum of July 31, 1941, the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Henderson) wrote that, because of the British note handed to the Poles at the time of signature of the agreement, “no purpose would be served for us to intervene at the present time in London on behalf of Poland.” The Polish Embassy was informed of this decision. (860C.01/589)