Office of the Historian

760C.61/2074: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, July 26, 1943—2 p.m.
[Received July 27—1:50 a.m.]

944. Department’s 584, July 19, 6 p.m.,12 paragraph 6. Department’s 427 of June 12 on which the Embassy’s approach is to be based makes no specific mention of the establishment of Polish Consulates in those areas in the Soviet Union where large numbers of Polish citizens are located. In view of the reluctance and in general refusal of the Soviet authorities to permit the opening of Consulates in the Soviet Union and the continual difficulties experienced by the former Polish delegates in the provinces, I do not believe that the Soviet Government will permit the opening of Polish Consulates and I fear that an approach containing such a proposal will weaken our case. I consider it more advisable when raising the question of welfare and relief to suggest that Polish citizens be permitted to have contact with appropriate Polish consular officers, presumably consular officers attached to the Polish Diplomatic Mission. The question of actual contact with the Poles in the provinces should be, I believe, worked out at a later date after relations are resumed. The Department’s instructions are urgently requested.13

Standley
  1. See footnote 5, p. 444.↩
  2. In telegram Polish Series No. 20, July 28, 9 p.m., the Ambassador was instructed to substitute the following text for paragraph 6: “6. To permit Polish citizens to have access to appropriate Polish consular officers.” (760C.61/2068b)↩