760C.61/984a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley)
402. Department’s 236, May 19, 8 p.m., and your 455, May 28, 11 a.m., and 667, August 1, 5 p.m. The Polish Ambassador on instructions from his Government has requested the President’s intervention with the Soviet Government with a view to bringing about an improvement in Polish-Soviet relations.
The Ambassador referred particularly to the situation brought about by the arrest and the detention of the remaining members of the Polish relief delegations and the fears of the Polish Government that these persons may be tried on unfounded charges of espionage. Apart from the detrimental effects of such a trial on the common war effort, the Ambassador has also pointed out that the closing of the Polish relief delegation offices will cause further hardship and privation on the thousands of Poles residing in various parts of the Soviet Union.
In connection with the deterioration of Polish-Soviet relations in recent months the Ambassador has, on several occasions, expressed the hope that the Soviet Government would find it possible to make as liberal interpretation of its agreements with the Polish Government as circumstances would permit. He referred in particular to the desire of the Polish Government to resume recruiting of its nationals in the Soviet Union for the Polish armed forces and the release of some 5 to 8 thousand Polish officers who are reported as still being held by [Page 175] the Soviet authorities as well as to the desire to evacuate Polish children and their mothers.
While it is realized that the tension has been somewhat relieved by the Soviet Government’s action in consenting to the transfer to the Middle East of three additional Polish divisions together with some 20,000 members of their families and that for the moment, since no concrete arrangements have been concluded to receive the Polish children evacuees in other areas, this question is not of immediate urgency, it is felt, in the interests of the common war effort, that it would not be amiss to express to the Soviet Government the earnest hope of the United States Government that no avenue will remain unexplored which might lead to a solution of these problems satisfactory to both the Soviet Union and Poland.
In due course you may, therefore, in your discretion bring up the question of Soviet-Polish relations with the Soviet authorities, pointing out that while the United States Government does not desire to intervene in this matter which it realizes involves various extremely complicated problems that can be solved only by direct negotiations between the two Governments, it nevertheless hopes that the spirit of collaboration already shown in connection with the transfer of the additional Polish divisions to the Middle East, may be promoted to the maximum and that mutually beneficial solutions may be found for the various problems under discussion.