860C.51/1552
The Secretary of State to Admiral William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy
My Dear Admiral Leahy: There is attached a copy of a memorandum67 to the President submitted to the Department by the Polish Prime Minister relative to the desire of the Polish Government to obtain a substantial credit, as well as lend-lease materials, for the purpose of strengthening the combat facilities of the Polish Underground Army.
For your background information it is perhaps pertinent to point out that for the past two years the President has made available from [Page 1364] his emergency fund $10,000,000 a year for the same purpose given in the attached memorandum.
I understand that when the President discussed this question with the Polish Prime Minister he indicated that in principle he was favorably disposed to granting additional credits for the use of the Polish Underground Forces and stated that the matter would be given careful consideration by the appropriate American authorities. In this regard I understand the President informed the Prime Minister that if it should not prove possible to make the entire sum available at once he might be able to make available, as an initial installment, approximately $20,000,000.
In discussing this question with Premier Mikolajczyk I also indicated that I felt that sympathetic consideration should be given to this request but told him that naturally it would have to be submitted to the appropriate United States military authorities before a final decision could be reached.
Since Premier Mikolajczyk expressed his sincere hope that comprehensive arrangements might be made for permanent collaboration between the Polish Underground Forces and the Red Army and since the President, I understand, expressed the same hope, the Department would appreciate receiving, before making the final decision from a political point of view, the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff whether, from a military point of view, they feel that it would be useful to the general war effort if the sums requested or any part thereof are made available to the Polish Government.
In view of the urgency of this matter, it would be appreciated if the Joint Chiefs of Staff could give the Department the benefit of their opinion as soon as possible.
Sincerely yours,
- In this memorandum of June 9, 1944 (not printed), Prime Minister Mikolajczyk requested Lend-Lease facilities for the supply of war weapons, ammunition, and equipment to meet the increased requirements of Poland’s Underground Army. He also requested an increase of funds for the Polish Government to $97 million, because of greatly expanded activities by Polish organizations in 1944. These funds were to be allocated as follows: $38 million for upkeep, maintenance and development of the Underground Army and Administration in Poland; $7 million for cost of the Underground Army in guerrilla action; $45 million for manufacture of armaments and ammunition in Poland; and $7 million as a special fund for expenditures immediately before the uprising of the Underground Army and at the beginning of the uprising. (860C.51/1552)↩