860C.01/716
The Polish Ambassador (Ciechanowski) to the Secretary of State 6
Sir: In view of the approach of the decisive and final phase of the war and of the time when the Germans will be expelled from Poland, the Polish Government deem it indispensable, apart from the questions of military and administrative nature which have already formed the subject of communications on their part, to draw the attention of the United States Government to an important aspect of the problems likely to arise on the cessation of hostilities, a timely and proper solution of which may favorably influence the post-war settlement.
The Polish Government have been authoritatively informed by the British Government that the question of the presence of Allied troops on Polish territories after the cessation of hostilities, and the problem of the occupation of German territories by Allied troops were not, so far, dealt with in conversations between the Government of Great Britain, the United States of America and Soviet Russia and that in any case no decisions have as yet been made in this respect binding the three Powers. As these problems vitally affect Polish interests the Polish Government are of the opinion that they are justified in expecting that decisions concerning these problems will not be taken [Page 1271] without their participation. They further consider that the time has now come for their examination and settlement.
In consideration of the above the Polish Government take the liberty to present their views on the subject:
a) As a result of military operations against the German army, the Soviet armies are likely to enter a major part or perhaps the whole territories of the Polish Republic. From the moment of the cessation of hostilities there will exist no valid reasons for the remaining of the Soviet troops on Polish territories, i.e. Allied territories. The Polish Government, therefore, expect the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Polish territories immediately after the cessation of hostilities against Germany.
However, apart from the fact whether at the time of the cessation of hostilities Soviet troops will be present on the whole or only on a part of Polish territories as a result of military operations, the Soviet Government may claim that some lines of communication between the armies occupying Germany and the territory of Soviet Russia should remain for a given time at their disposal on Polish territory for the transit of their troops. Should such a demand be made by the Soviet Government it ought, in the opinion of the Polish Government, immediately to become the subject of an agreement between the Polish Government and other interested Allied Governments, similarly to the question of the presence of American and British troops on the territories of France, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg, which has already become the subject of inter-Allied negotiations.7 In the event of such negotiations, the Polish Government would suggest that these specially reserved lines of communication in Poland should be placed under the joint control of the military authorities of Allied Powers including Poland, with the effective participation of United States and British forces.
b) The Polish Government are also deeply concerned with the solution of the question of the occupation by Allied troops of the German Reich.
The Polish Government would be desirous that Poland’s vital interests in this matter, present and future, should be taken into special consideration and that Polish troops and administrative organs be entrusted with the occupation in a part of German territories, and particularly in regions immediately contiguous to the Polish State.
In the light of what has been laid out above, the Polish Government would consider as very useful an early exchange of views with the United States Government on the subjects involved.8
Accept [etc.]
- In a covering note of the same date the Polish Ambassador informed the Secretary that an identical message had been given to the British Government on April 13.↩
- For references to agreements between the United States and these countries on questions of military and civil affairs, see pp. 730, 296, 1191, and 1187, respectively.↩
- The Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs, Charles E. Bohlen, wrote a memorandum on July 1, 1944, to the Director of the Office of European Affairs, James C. Dunn, in which he stated that in view of the conversations which in the meanwhile had occurred between Polish Prime Minister Mikolajczyk and President Roosevelt (see infra, and pp. 1280–1282 and 1285–1289), he did not believe that “any specific reply is necessary or possible at the present time”. In the margin Mr. Dunn wrote “I agree”, and he underlined the words “or possible” in the memorandum.↩