Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, Europe, Volume IV

740.00116 EW 1939/12–544: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, December 5, 1944.
[Received December 5—9:53 a.m.]

4643. Items on the Lublin trials appearing in the Moscow press for December 3 and 4.

1. All papers December 3 give the testimony of Sobolewski, Chief Secretary of the Polish Soviet Commission for investigating German Fascist atrocities in Maidanek, as well as the testimony of one internee from the camp.

2. Pravda for December 4 quotes from the speech of the Prosecuting Attorney Cheslyuk which sums up the testimony against the accused. It states that after speeches of the Prosecuting Attorney and the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, the defense was heard. Nothing is stated on the nature of the defense. At the end of the same article a despatch from Lublin dated December 3 states that the five accused were condemned to death by the Court. As an exception to ordinary procedure, their execution will be public.

Kennan