Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The British Commonwealth, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Volume III

861.012/214: Telegram

The Ambassador to the Polish Government in Exile (Biddle) to the Secretary of State ²⁰

London, January 28, 1943—midnight.
[Received January 29—6:32 a.m.]

Polish Series [No.] 3. Following are the main points of Soviet Embassy’s note dated January 16, 1943 to the Polish Government,²¹ regarding the citizenship of former inhabitants of western districts of the Ukraine and Bielo-Russian Soviet republics:

Referring to exchange of communications during period 1941–42 in connection therewith, the note stated (a) that the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs had informed the Polish Embassy in a note dated December 1, 1941,²² (1) that according to decree of the Supreme Soviet Council dated November 29, 1939²³ and to the “Soviet citizenship act” of August 19, 1938, all inhabitants of the aforementioned districts who were therein at the time of their incorporation (November 1–2, 1939) in the Soviet Union had acquired Soviet citizenship; and (2) that the Soviet Government was prepared by way of exception to consider as Polish citizens such persons of Polish nationality who lived in the aforementioned districts on November 1–2, 1939; (b) that the People’s Commissariat was compelled to state that notwithstanding the Soviet Government’s thus manifested good intentions, the Polish Government had adopted a negative attitude regarding the above statement; (c) that it declined to take the necessary steps; (d) that it had made demands contrary to the sovereign rights of the Soviet Union in those districts; (e) that therefore the People’s Commissariat in behalf of the Soviet Government took occasion to inform the Polish Government that the statement included in the note of December 1, 1941, regarding readiness to treat some categories of persons of Polish nationality on exceptional basis should be considered null and void; that the question of non-application of the decrees of Soviet citizenship to such persons no longer existed.

In its reply, the Polish Government sent a note dated January 26, 1943 to the Soviet Embassy²⁴ pointing out (a) that in the note dated December 9, ’41,²⁵ of the Polish Ambassador at Kuibyshev,²⁶ the Polish Government had indicated its refusal to accept the note of the People’s Commissariat dated December 1, ’41, on grounds that withdrawal of the right of Polish nationality constituted the exclusive and inalienable right contained in the sovereignty of the Polish state; (b) that in the course of the past year the categories of Poles mentioned as dwelling in the Soviet Union had been treated in accordance with their rights as Polish nationals; (c) that the Soviet Government’s present decision to annul the declaration contained in its note of December 1, ’41 was incompatible with the spirit of the Polish-Soviet agreement of July 30, ’41 and of the mutual declaration of the two Governments dated December 4, ’41;²⁷ (d) that it should be borne in mind that the Soviet Government had undertaken, according to point 1 of the additional protocol attached to the Polish-Soviet agreement of July 30, ’41, to set at liberty all Polish nationals detained under any pretext whatever on Soviet territory; (e) that imposition of Soviet nationality on the Polish nationals constituted a unilateral decision incompatible with international law as defined in the fourth Hague convention of 1907,²⁸ and with the terms of the Atlantic Charter to which the Soviet Union had adhered.

In handing me copies of the aforementioned exchange of notes, the Polish Foreign Minister said it had recently been indicated informally to the Polish Embassy in Kuibyshev that the Soviet Government’s present decision meant (a) that the Government considered there were no more Polish citizens in Soviet Russia; (b) a cessation of relief distribution among the Poles; and (c) eventual conscription of the Poles. The Minister would greatly appreciate your communicating the substance of these notes to Ambassador Ciechanowski. Meanwhile the Minister would, he said, instruct Ciechanowski to ask us to exercise our good offices at this juncture to the extent of asking the Soviet Government whether it intended to refuse the Polish authorities the right to continue distributing relief among the Poles on Soviet territory. I am preliminarily inclined to interpret this recent Soviet note in the nature of a “chantage” and in such light (a) as a warning to Sikorski that it is with Moscow and not with Washington and London that he should discuss the question of Poland’s eastern frontiers, and (b) as pressure on him to come to Moscow to settle the question with Stalin. In this connection Sikorski receives secret information today that the Russians are hinting that Stalin may be prepared for his part to make certain concessions to Sikorski. Sikorski is willing to meet with Stalin, but he feels that until the ground is prepared for him it would be a tactical error to do so, especially at a moment when Stalin is riding the wave of military successes.

[Biddle]

20. The substance of this telegram was repeated to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union in telegram No. 88, February 12, after it became apparent from the Ambassador’s telegram No. 138, February 9 (p. 330), that he had not received full information on the subject from the Polish Chargé.
21. Polish-Soviet Relations, 1918–1943, Official Documents, p. 170.
22. Ibid., p. 165.
23. For text, of the decree of November 29, 1939, concerning the acquisition of Soviet citizenship, see ibid., p. 104.
24. Ibid., p. 172.
25. Ibid, p. 166.
26. Stanislaw Kot.
27. The Polish-Soviet Declaration of Friendship and Mutual Assistance, signed at Moscow, December 4, 1941; for text, see telegram No. 2018, December 6, 1941, from the Chargé in the Soviet Union, Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, p. 266.
28. Convention on Laws and Customs of War on Land, signed at The Hague October 18, 1907, ibid., 1907, pt. 2, p. 1204.