860c.01/6–2245: Telegram
No. 485
The Acting
Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the
Soviet Union (Harriman)
us urgent—niact
1382. Top Secret for the Ambassador.
As indicated in Depts 1370 June 22 3 p.m.1 this Govt is giving careful consideration to recognizing in the near future the Provisional Government of National Unity as the government of Poland. It would be most helpful in making our decision if we could have prior assurances from the competent members of the new Polish Govt, the more important of whom are now in Moscow, on the points enumerated below which are in conformity with the facilities extended by this Govt to duly accredited diplomatic and consular officials in the United States:
- (1)
- This Govt would expect the new Polish Govt to grant to the Embassy to be established in Poland adequate facilities to communicate by mail telegraph radio and by courier with the Dept of State and with other American missions in Europe. …
- (2)
- This Govt would expect that the Ambassador and members of his staff would be given every appropriate facility to travel throughout Poland in order to carry out the legitimate functions of the Embassy and would be granted without delay permission to enter and to leave the country on receipt of application therefor;
- (3)
- This Govt would expect that consular offices would be permitted to be established at such commercial and shipping centers as might be considered appropriate by this Govt.
Please, in such manner as you deem appropriate, take up the foregoing at the earliest opportunity with Bierut and any other members of the proposed Provisional Govt of National Unity whose support or views would in your opinion be helpful and point out that presumably the new Polish Govt will wish to maintain consulates throughout the United States and will desire its representatives to enjoy unlimited travel facilities in the United States.
You may likewise say in a personal and unofficial capacity that if facilities were promptly extended to representatives of the American press to visit Poland the reaction in this country would undoubtedly be immediately sympathetic.
While the Dept does not desire to imply that this Govt will make its recognition of the Polish Government of National Unity conditional on the granting of the assurances requested above it would [Page 722] obviously facilitate matters if a favorable reply were received at the earliest possible moment.
We hope for your early and favorable report.