860C.2222/20b
The Acting Secretary of State to the Polish Ambassador ( Ciechanowski )
Excellency: With reference to Your Excellency’s note of March 17, 1942, and to previous correspondence12 with respect to the enlistment of residents of the United States in the armed forces of Poland, I have the honor to inform you that special consideration has been given to the views of your government in the discussions which have taken place between officers of this Department, the War and Navy Departments, and the Selective Service System on the general problem of the application of the United States Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended, to nationals of cobelligerent countries residing in the United States.
As you are aware the Act provides that with certain exceptions every male citizen of the United States and every other male person residing in the United States between the ages of 18 and 65 shall register. The Act further provides that with certain exceptions, registrants within specified age limits are liable for active military service in the United States armed forces.
This Government recognizes that from the standpoint of morale of the individuals concerned and the over-all military effort of the countries at war with the Axis Powers, it would be desirable to permit certain classes of individuals who have registered or who may register under the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended, to enlist in the armed forces of a cobelligerent country, should they desire to do so. It will be recalled that during the World War this Government signed conventions with certain associated powers on this subject. The United States Government believes, however, that under existing circumstances the same ends may now be accomplished through administrative action, thus obviating the delays incident to the signing and ratification of conventions.
This Government is prepared, therefore, to initiate a procedure which will permit aliens who have registered under the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended, who are nationals of co-belligerent countries and who have not declared their intention of [Page 215] becoming American citizens to elect to serve in the forces of their respective countries, in lieu of service in the armed forces of the United States, at any time prior to their induction into the armed forces of this country. Individuals who so elect will be physically examined by the armed forces of the United States, and if found physically qualified, the results of such examinations will be forwarded to the proper authorities of the co-belligerent nation for determination of acceptability. Upon receipt of notification that an individual is acceptable and also receipt of the necessary travel and meal vouchers from the co-belligerent government involved, the appropriate State Director of the Selective Service System will direct the local Selective Service Board having jurisdiction in the case to send the individual to a designated reception point for induction into active service in the armed forces of the co-belligerent country. If upon arrival it is found that the individual is not acceptable to the armed forces of the cobelligerent country, he shall be liable for immediate induction into the armed forces of the United States.
Before the above-mentioned procedure will be made effective with respect to a co-belligerent country, this Department wishes to receive from the diplomatic representative in Washington of that country a note stating that his government desires to avail itself of the procedure and in so doing agrees that:
- (a)
- No threat or compulsion of any nature will be exercised by his government to induce any person in the United States to enlist in the forces of any foreign government;
- (b)
- Reciprocal treatment will be granted to American citizens by his government; that is, prior to induction in the armed forces of his government they will be granted the opportunity of electing to serve in the armed forces of the United States in substantially the same manner as outlined above. Furthermore, his government shall agree to inform all American citizens serving in its armed forces or former American citizens who may have lost their citizenship as a result of having taken an oath of allegiance on enlistment in such armed forces and who are now serving in those forces that they may transfer to the armed forces of the United States provided they desire to do so and provided they are acceptable to the armed forces of the United States. The arrangements for effecting such transfers are to be worked out by the appropriate representatives of the armed forces of the respective governments.
- (c)
- No enlistments will be accepted in the United States by his government of American citizens subject to registration or of aliens of any nationality who have declared their intentions of becoming American citizens and are subject to registration.
This Government is prepared to make the proposed régime effective immediately with respect to Poland upon the receipt from you of a note stating that your government desires to participate in it and [Page 216] agrees to the stipulations set forth in lettered paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) above.13
Accept [etc.]
- In a note to the Secretary of State dated January 22, 1942, Ambassador Ciechanowski transmitted the Polish Government’s request that the Polish military authorities be granted permission “to conscript to the Polish Armed Forces all Polish citizens residing in the United States, between the ages of eighteen and fifty.” The Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Berle, acknowledged the note on January 28, 1942, stating that a detailed reply would be made after careful consideration by the appropriate, interested authorities of the United States. (860C.2222/10)↩
- The Polish Government in Exile had established a training center at Owen Sound, Ontario, for recruits from Polish citizens in North America. In the spring of 1942 it decided to liquidate the Owen Sound training center and transfer the Polish Armed Forces in Canada to England, after Polish enlistments had proved smaller than anticipated. The Polish authorities alleged that this was largely because the action of the United States Government in effect limited future recruits for the Polish Army in North America to Poles who had not declared their intention to become citizens of the United States.↩