760C.61/2045a
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the Ambassador to the Polish Government in Exile (Biddle), at London
My Dear Ambassador: I have received and read your most interesting letter in regard to the present situation of the Soviet-Polish diplomatic break. I fully share your views as to the importance of doing everything we can to bring about a restoration of diplomatic relations between the Soviet and Polish Governments on a firm and lasting basis.
The suggestions which you make in your letter as to the possible means of bringing this about, based on your intimate contacts in London with the representatives of both the Soviet Union and Poland, have been given the most careful study here.
We have of course followed closely the Soviet-Polish controversy and have come to the conclusion that any restoration of relations must be of such a character as to provide an elimination of as many as possible of the factors which were responsible for the present breach. We are quite firm, however, in our determination not to be a party to any discussions of future frontiers at the present stage of the war.
We have received the same impression as yourself that the immediate desire of the Soviet Government is to bring about a change in the composition of the Polish Government-in-exile. While some changes might prove advantageous after the restoration of relations, on the basis indicated above, we do not feel that it would be proper for us to bring pressure on Sikorski to change the composition of the Polish Government in order to satisfy the Soviet Government. In our opinion it would be unfortunate for a precedent to be established under which the government of one United Nation could successfully force changes in the composition of another government of the United Nations.
We are endeavoring to work out with the British some form of joint approach which will offer the best possibility of an equitable solution of the Polish-Soviet dispute and you will be informed when we have arrived at some common ground with them.
Believe me,
Yours very sincerely,