760C.61/1063: Telegram
The Ambassador to the Polish Government in Exile (Biddle) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 1—5:33 p.m.]
Polish Series [No.] 27. Sikorski states that Mr. Eden disclosed yesterday that Moscow was insisting upon Sikorski’s personally making a public statement that he was withdrawing his Government’s request for an International Red Cross investigation. He explained to Mr. Eden that he could not do so. He had suggested, however, as an alternative, that the BBC57 be permitted to broadcast a statement by the “Polish Telegraph Agency” to effect that it had been learned that the Polish Government regarded its appeal to the International Red Cross to have lapsed, following the latter’s reply explaining the [Page 404] difficulties in the way of complying with the Polish request for an investigation. According to Sikorski, Mr. Eden accepted this suggestion and the aforementioned statement was accordingly broadcast last night.
Whether this form of statement satisfied Moscow’s request remains to be seen. The only indication thus far of Moscow’s reaction in the matter is a biting criticism in today’s Daily Worker by the “Diplomatic Correspondent” describing the aforementioned statement as an “impudent gesture at the United Nations”, and “a piece of somewhat shop-soiled political ventriloquism”.
Sikorski feels that the British Government is not apt to receive Moscow’s official reaction either to the aforementioned statement or to the Polish Government’s statement of April 28 before Sunday or Monday.
- British Broadcasting Corporation.↩