760C.61/2305

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Dunn)

The Polish Ambassador54 came in this afternoon and left a memorandum, a copy of which is hereto attached,55 on the subject of the visit of Professor Oscar Lange and the Rev. Stanislaw Orlemanski to Moscow.56

The Ambassador stated that he was also instructed by his Government to ask the Department whether the United States Government considered it proper for these two American citizens to proceed to Moscow at the invitation of the Soviet Government to discuss matters which involved the relationship between the Government of the U.S.S.R. and the Government of Poland, and stated that the Polish Government felt deeply grieved to see the role that was being played by these American citizens in Polish-Soviet relationship to the detriment of the Polish Government.

I informed the Ambassador that Professor Lange and Rev. Orlemanski had, as private American citizens, obtained passports for travel abroad in the usual manner, that there were no special restrictions against the travel of American citizens to points abroad where it was possible to obtain transportation, and that these American citizens proceeded abroad entirely within their character as private American citizens without any power or authority of representation of the Government of the United States.

Mr. Ciechanowski asked whether it was true that they had made the visit to Moscow on the invitation of the Soviet Government for the purpose of dealing with the matter of Polish-Soviet relations. I said that it was true that the Soviet Government had extended an invitation to these two citizens to visit Moscow but that no representation or information had come to us as to the purpose of their visit.

The Ambassador asked whether it was usual for the American Government to permit American citizens to proceed abroad to engage in a discussion of matters which involved the relationship of governments friendly to the United States with other governments when it was quite evident from the purpose and basis of such a visit that the results would be inimical to the interests of a government friendly to [Page 1407] the United States, such as was the case with Poland in the present circumstances. I replied that as long as American citizens proceeding abroad remain strictly within the character of private citizens and did not assume to represent themselves as having any authority from the Government of the United States to deal with matters which concerned the foreign relations of other states, it was the privilege of American citizens to express their views and extend their knowledge of affairs in other countries without being interfered with in such a course by this Government. Mr. Ciechanowski said that his Government would prevent any Polish citizens from proceeding abroad for the purpose of intervening in the affairs of a foreign state which might even possibly have results inimical to the interests of a friendly government, and asked whether this Government did not usually in such cases act similarly. I said that as far as the practice and usage in this country was concerned, the American Government gave the widest possible latitude to the rights of American citizens to inform themselves and express their opinions without interference by the Government provided they did not become involved in acts which were contrary to the laws of the United States.

The Ambassador showed very distinctly that he was deeply disappointed in my statement with regard to the general practice of this Government with respect to the rights and privileges of American citizens, both at home and abroad, and thanked me only perfunctorily for the information I had given him. As he left he stated formally that this was a matter which touched his Government very deeply and was one which gave them the greatest concern and disappointment in the action of the American Government.

James Clement Dunn
  1. Jan Ciechanowski.
  2. Not printed.
  3. The Soviet press had reported the arrival in Moscow on April 23 of Professor Lange “to visit units of the Polish Army and to study its character and aims”. The arrival of the Reverend Stanislaw Orlemanski and his reception by Stalin on April 28 was also said to be in order “to study the situation of the Poles and the Polish Army in the USSR”.