740.00119 European War 1939/1289: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 15—7:25 p.m.]
1172. In conversation with Sir Alexander Cadogan38 I referred to reports widely circulating here of growing friction between the Polish Government and the Soviet Union and he confirmed the mutual lack of cordiality. The recent Russian decision depriving Poles from former Russian-occupied Poland of their Polish nationality, rations and the protection of their Government is causing much distress and incidentally is creating uneasiness among Polish troops serving with the British in the Middle East many of whose families have been left in Russia. This severe measure may in part be “retaliation” for what the Russians consider to be the “chauvinistic” attitude shown by Sikorski recently, Cadogan thinks. There are many reports, he said, that Sikorski presented during his visit to the United States a plan which included rather extensive territorial gains [Page 333] for postwar Poland (with East Prussia and a frontier on the Oder) and that this plan received general approval in Washington. Cadogan does not believe we gave approval of any frontiers to Sikorski but that is what he is saying, and his general rather “patronizing” attitude toward the exiled Allied Governments here and assurances that he had defended their interests at Washington, have created a considerable stir in London. The other exiled Allied Governments and the Russians, he said, are somewhat resentful. At any rate knowledge of the friction between the Polish and Russian Governments has caused the Czechs to decline further discussions for developing any sort of a Czech-Polish federation.
Cadogan sees little or any chance of any early possibility of Finland being able to withdraw from the war39 or any likelihood that the Russians are much interested in obtaining such withdrawal.