800.796/10–1444
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Aviation Division (Morgan)
Mr. Milewski called at his request to inform me that he was to be one of the Polish delegates at the international aviation conference.
We discussed briefly the nature and objectives of the conference as I have discussed it with other representatives of foreign governments.
Mr. Milewski said that of course Poland was fully dependent upon obtaining aircraft from the United States to inaugurate any operations whatsoever. He stressed aircraft from the United States because he said the Polish airline LOT was very closely tied to the Lockheed Company, had used Lockheed aircraft exclusively before the war and, he felt confident, would continue to do so. I asked him whether he was referring now to the acquisition of surplus aircraft when such are released by the military authorities or to purchases to be made from the manufacturers when they are again permitted to make direct sales to private individuals. He said he was referring to the latter case. I explained to Mr. Milewski that the aircraft problem would go through three different phases: first, for the present and for some time to come there would be practically none available for commercial operators; second, at some undeterminable date surplus aircraft would be available and would be sold through the Surplus War Property Administrator to American and foreign domestic airlines; third, the period after the war when military restrictions were removed and manufacturers would deal directly with their customers abroad. Mr. Milewski said this was the period in which they were interested. I said I did not foresee any Government control over the contractual arrangements manufacturers made with their customers when that time came, and LOT would have to handle its problem directly with Lockheed or whoever they wished to purchase from. During the second period I said the disposal of surplus aircraft would be controlled by the Government and I was sure we would be glad to receive any applications on behalf of LOT and give them very sympathetic consideration.
I asked Mr. Milewski if he could tell me anything about the views of his Government with respect to the subjects to be discussed at the conference. He said he had no instructions and could only speak personally. In his personal opinion he thought that Poland would take the same position as the United States with respect to such powers as might be granted to an international body. Poland could not [Page 560] expect to get very much through an international body on which it would very likely not be represented. He thought that Polish interests would be best served by negotiating directly with the United States and other countries which LOT might wish to serve. He said that of course the Polish position would have to be influenced somewhat by the Russian position. I told him that so far as we had been able to ascertain in our exploratory talks with the Russians, they were disposed to take the same view as the United States. He said that he felt sure that Poland would favor an international authority with regulatory powers in the technical field, but no more.
Mr. Milewski said that the Poles are much disappointed and somewhat concerned because Warsaw has not been included as a point of call on the proposed American-flag air routes. I explained to him that the determination of these routes and ports of call was primarily a function of the Civil Aeronautics Board, and I made an appointment for Mr. Milewski to see Mr. Welch Pogue to discuss this subject.