860c.01/7–545
No. 504
The British Ambassador
(
Halifax
) to the
Secretary of State
His Majesty’s Ambassador presents his compliments to the Secretary of State and has the honour, on instructions from His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,1 to inform him that the Foreign Office has telegraphed instructions to His Majesty’s Ambassador in Moscow to concert with the Ambassador of the United States in addressing to the Polish Ambassador, some five hours in advance of the agreed time of release (7 p.m. Eastern War Time, Thursday, July 5th), a communication, in the terms of the text handed to the State Department yesterday,2 according formal recognition to the newly established Polish Provisional Government of [Page 738] National Unity. This communication will be in the form of a message from the Prime Minister, Mr. Winston Churchill[,] to the Polish Premier, M. Osóbka-Morawski, which Sir Archibald Clark Kerr will request the Polish Ambassador in Moscow to forward immediately to his government in Warsaw to become effective at the time agreed.
In addition to the foregoing, Lord Halifax is further instructed to inform Mr. Byrnes that, although His Majesty’s Government is proceeding to recognize the new Polish Government of National Unity, the Foreign Office is by no means satisfied with the assurances that have so far been forthcoming from the Polish Ambassador in Moscow regarding the participation of the recognized Polish political parties in the elections which the government is pledged to hold. His Majesty’s Ambassador has accordingly been instructed to address immediately in this sense, a note to the Soviet Government stating that the Prime Minister reserves the right to raise this matter at the forthcoming meeting of the three heads of State as a point that affects the implementation of the Crimean decisions. Sir Archibald Clark Kerr is instructed to explain that a similar communication is being made to the United States Government. He is furthermore instructed when making the communication to the Polish Ambassador referred to above, to inform him of the nature of the note which he is handing to the Soviet Government and to add that a similar communication is being made to the United States Government.