The Polish Ambassador called to see me this afternoon at his request.
The Ambassador spoke of his conversation with the President today,
of which the President had already informed me. The gist of it was
that the Ambassador was authorized to inform General Sikorski in
confidence that the President was sending in the near future to
Moscow a special representative93 of his entire confidence
[Page 371]
and that this
representative in the course of his conversations with Stalin would
be authorized and instructed to do what might be possible on behalf
of the Polish refugees within the Soviet Union, and in the interest
of an improvement in Soviet-Polish relations.
The Ambassador likewise handed me a telegram he had just received
from his Foreign Minister which is attached herewith.
[Annex]
Memorandum by the Polish Ambassador (Ciechanowski)
The Polish Ambassador received on the afternoon of April 8th, the
following information from Count Raczyńiski:
Mr. Romer, the Polish Ambassador in Russia, informed the Polish
Foreign Minister that on April 2nd, Mr. Novikov,94 acting on
instructions from Mr. Molotov, informed Mr. Romer that the
Soviet Government would apply to the Polish citizens the
interpretation of citizenship according to the Soviet regulation
as defined in the regulations of the Soviet Russian and Soviet
Ukrainian civil code,95 which
regard the permanent place of residence, coupled with occupation
and property, or with a locality as chief center of occupation,
as facts and circumstances on the basis of which “inhabitant”
will be defined.
As a result, local Soviet authorities have allegedly received
orders to adapt themselves to this interpretation and to retract
regulations hitherto applied which might be contrary to this
interpretation. (This cannot be regarded as acceptable in its
application to Polish territory.)
Mr. Novikov added that Ambassador Romer’s suggestion that he
should issue Polish passports to the group of citizens regarded
by both sides as indisputably Polish in the framework of the
above definitions, would be taken into consideration.
Ambassador Romer informs the Polish Foreign Minister that,
regardless of this communication, all the Polish Welfare Centers
have been taken over by the Soviets. The relief supplies
contained in all the storehouses have been placed under
arrest.
The arrested “men of trust” for relief of the Polish Embassy are
accused of: (a) enemy activity, (b) noncompliance with passport
regulations, (c) criminal offense.
A belated group of 110 persons, members of families of the
military already evacuated, have been ordered sent out to
Iran.
[Page 372]
Ambassador Romer sums up these new facts, together with the above
declaration of Mr. Novikov given in reply to the Ambassador’s
interventions, as follows:
Ambassador Romer has reason to know that the Soviet Government
foresees that an Anglo-American intervention may be pending.
Having already attained all their aims in the way of destroying
the Polish Relief organization, and having almost completed the
forced sovietization of Polish citizens,—the Soviets now tend to
create the illusion that they are applying less severe methods
and drastic action.
Ambassador Romer is of the opinion that this attitude increases
the absolute necessity and urgency of immediate intervention on
behalf of Poland on the part of the United States and British
Governments.
The above facts prove that such an intervention would be
effective and also that it is absolutely necessary from the
viewpoint of counteracting Soviet tactics and saving the
population and what will be possible to save of the relief
organization, likewise to persuade the Soviets to admit further
evacuation of Polish citizens.
