860C.2221/31
The Ambassador to the Polish Government in Exile (Biddle) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 8.]
For the President, the Secretary and the Under-Secretary.
Sir: Supplementing my despatch Polish Series. No. 157, June 2, 1942, I have the honor to report that in recent conversation with General Sikorski he said, in effect, the following:
Missing Officers. In Summer 1940 several thousands of Polish officers prisoners of war, who were kept in 3 camps in Central Russia (Ostashkov, Starobyelsk, Kozelsk) were taken to an unknown destination in the Far North of Russia. Since then they have not been heard of. Their number has been variously described but is usually accepted as 8,300; 1/3 of whom are professional officers and 2/3 reserve officers. The latter are for, the most part professional men including about 800 physicians and many University professors and lecturers as well as a number of distinguished specialists. The Polish Military authorities have lists covering over 4,800 of these officers. These lists have been communicated to Stalin. The Soviet Government have many times been requested to release them. They invariably replied that every available prisoner of war in Russia had already been released. This statement is obviously inaccurate. There are reasons to believe that the officers in question have been deported to Franz-Joseph Islands, North of Spitzbergen, and to North-Eastern Siberia to camps on the River Kolyma, in the North of the Yakut Republic. It is more than probable that most of them have died of hunger, scorbut[us] and cold. If the supposition as to their places of imprisonment is correct, there [Page 151] are but two months of summer when for technical reasons they could be brought back to Russia. Or, on the other hand, they could either be brought via the Kolyma River to Alaska or from Franz-Joseph Islands to Iceland. The absence of these officers is the principal reason of the shortage of officers in the Polish Forces in Russia, whither officers from Scotland had to be sent lately. The possible death of these men, most of whom have superior education, would be a severe blow to the Polish national life. Their evacuation during the present summer seems to be the last chance to save those who may still be alive.
In concluding his remarks, the General said that he felt confident that if in the course of pending conversations with the Russians in Washington,92 our authorities concerned were to express an interest in the above-mentioned problem, the Russians might act favorably in the matter.
Respectfully yours,