Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, Europe, Volume III

860C.48/746

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

Polish Series No. 178

London, July 16, 1942.
[Received July 23.]

Sir: I have the honor to attach hereto copies of a Memorandum¹⁵ just handed me by the Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs.

In asking me to forward this memorandum, the Minister told me that he had already instructed Ambassador Ciechanowski to bring the subject matter to your attention,¹⁶ adding that the attached memorandum contained more details than he had been able to cable his Ambassador.

In brief, the memorandum points out that when Polish-Russian diplomatic relations were re-established in 1941¹⁷ the problem arose as to the means of providing organised relief to many thousands of Polish deportees dispersed throughout Russia. An agreement was reached between the Polish Embassy and the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, regarding the establishment of special local delegations of the Polish Embassy in communities where large numbers of Poles were congregated.¹⁸ The delegations were to be 19 in number.¹⁹ M. Vyshinsky, the Assistant People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, agreed on January 26, 1942, that these delegates would be regarded as representatives of the Polish diplomatic mission in Russia.

Following these assurances, a system of Polish delegations was established, the two most important, at Archangel and Vladivostok. Their general duties consisted of distributing foodstuffs and medical supplies, clothing, footwear and other articles sent from the United States, Britain and Canada for the Polish deportees in Russia.

At Archangel, agents of the Soviet police, in the absence of the Polish delegate, entered the office of the delegation²⁰ and seized their documents and funds, at the same time arresting^* the assistant delegate and three other officials, including one woman. On July 3, the Foreign Office at Kuibyshev notified the Polish Embassy of the Soviet Government’s decision to close down the offices of the Embassy’s delegation at Archangel and Vladivostok, Saratov and Aldan-Yakutsky.

The memorandum goes on to point out the tremendous needs of the Polish deportees in Russia, emphasizing that it is only through a combination of great efforts on part of the Polish Embassy with the collaboration of numerous British, American and Canadian humanitarian and charitable organisations that the system of relief could be devised, which had just begun to bear fruit. Emphasis is also placed on the importance of the functions of these delegates (a) to handling the distribution of increasing shipments of goods, and (b) to prevent looting of these goods at the port of entry. Hence, the closing down of the delegations’ offices, particularly at Archangel might lead to a complete breakdown in the system of relief for the Polish refugees.

The memorandum ends by stating that apart from the violation of diplomatic privileges, and arbitrary police methods practiced at Archangel, it is difficult to understand the motives and intentions of the Soviet Government. Does it intend itself, to undertake the care of the Polish deportees, or does it propose suppressing any relief to them altogether? The distribution of relief by the Soviet authorities would be purely theoretical, for at best, the local authorities would have no interest in distributing relief from overseas to the Poles, and all measures of control on behalf of the Polish authorities would be illusory. The suppression of the functions of the Polish Embassy’s delegates, must unavoidably lead to a great deal of unnecessary suffering amongst the deportees, and to an increased mortality, especially amongst the children. Even now, the distribution of relief has been completely disorganized so that complications must necessarily arise with regard to the goods already arriving at their destination. Meanwhile, a number of ships carrying consignments to Archangel and Vladivostok are en route and there are no delegates at these points to receive them. It follows that at any rate, some of these goods will be exposed to looting.

In handing me the attached memorandum, the Minister for Foreign Affairs stated that he had already instructed Ambassador Ciechanowski to bring the matter to the attention of my Government. These instructions, however, had been cabled the Ambassador, a fact which had forced him to generalize and thus to eliminate the details in connection with the matter. He was therefore asking me to forward the attached memorandum which covered the details lacking in his cabled instructions.

Respectfully yours,

A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.

15. Not printed.
16. See Ambassador Cieehanowski’s note of August 3, p. 168.
17. Relations were resumed with the signing of the Polish-Soviet Agreement at London on July 30, 1941. See footnote 6, p. 102.
18. The text of the rules governing the scope of activities of delegates of the Polish Embassy in the Soviet Union as agreed upon on December 23, 1941, is printed in Republic of Poland, Polish-Soviet Relations, 1918–1943, Official Documents, p. 180.
19. Another office of the Embassy delegation, at Saratov, had not yet been organized.
20. See supra.
21. According to information reaching the Polish Government on July 15, the Polish Embassy’s delegates, formerly arrested, were released on July 14. However, it is understood that the offices of these delegates are still closed down. [Footnote in the original.]