860C.48/754
The Polish Ambassador (Ciechanowski) to the Secretary of State
The Polish Ambassador presents his compliments to the Secretary of State and, with reference to his letter of August 3rd, has the honor to communicate to the Secretary of State the latest information received today from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland concerning the developments in Polish-Soviet relations in connection with the arrests of Polish employees and functionaries in the service of the Polish Embassy in Kuybishev for distribution of relief supplies to Polish citizens at present in Soviet Russia: [Page 170]
The Polish Chargé d’Affaires in Moscow communicates to the Polish Foreign Minister on August 4th, that the Polish officials and functionaries employed for distribution of relief supplies arrested by the Soviet authorities, are being accused of: that, as allegedly shown by documents seized at the time of their arrest, they had been corresponding with the Embassy by special word code; collecting information about Poles still kept in Soviet prisons and in secret places of confinement in localities to which access is prohibited by the Soviets; that they were furnishing information of an economic character about conditions of life and work of the Poles in Russia, of the treatment the Polish population was receiving from NKID.,42 of delivering passports to Polish citizens not recognized as such by Soviet authorities (Polish citizens of Jewish, Ukrainian and White Russian descent); they are likewise accused of trying to get the Poles who had “joined” (who had been forced to join the Soviet Army) to leave this army and to be enrolled in the Polish Army; editing and circulation of Polish newspaper called Polish News which the Soviets consider as anti-Sovietic in tendency; taking notes about anti-Soviet tendencies among the Soviet population, use of secret radio sets, anti-Soviet propaganda; facilitating correspondence between Poles in the Soviets and their families outside, as well as correspondence with people in Poland proper; disregard for police regulations concerning registration; pursuing illegal methods of obtaining evacuation of Poles to the Polish Army abroad; attempts to bribe Soviet officials.
These accusations, under Article 58 of the Soviet Penal Code, foresee trial and sentences from ten years imprisonment to the death penalty.
The Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs is of the opinion that only immediate energetic intervention directly with Premier Stalin can prevent the organization of a trial against these Polish officials.
The Polish Ambassador has the honor to inform the Secretary of State that the above communication from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland was read by him to The President in the course of the audience which the Ambassador had the honor to have at the White House this morning.43