500.CC/3–545
Memorandum of the Acting Secretary’s Press and Radio News Conference19
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Mr. Grew continued that, at the Crimea Conference, it had been agreed that the Republic of China and the Provisional Government of the French Republic would be invited to sponsor invitations jointly with the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. He said that consultations had been held with the Government of the Republic of China, and that the Government of the Republic of China had agreed to it. Mr. Grew said that the Provisional Government of the French Republic had agreed to participate in the Conference, although it had not participated in the conversations at Dumbarton Oaks, and that now it had declined to join in the sponsoring of the invitations to the other United Nations. A correspondent asked the Acting Secretary if he anticipated that invitations would be sent to any countries not listed, and remarked that he had Poland specifically in mind. Mr. Grew replied that he would give the correspondents the following statement for background:
It is true that while Poland is a member of the United Nations, an invitation to the San Francisco Conference is not being extended at this time to either the London Polish Government or the provisional government now functioning in Poland. The situation is somewhat as follows:
You will recall that at Yalta it was agreed that “the provisional government which is now functioning in Poland should … be reorganized on a broader democratic basis with the inclusion of democratic leaders from Poland itself and from Poland abroad”, and this new government would then be called the “Polish Provisional Government of National Unity.”
[Page 109]Steps are now being taken to follow through on the agreement reached at the Crimea Conference to reorganize the present government along the above lines. Ambassador Harriman at Moscow is working on this with Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov and the British Ambassador, and these three form a commission on the question.
When the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity has been properly formed in accordance with the agreements made at Yalta, this Government, Great Britain and the Soviet Union will establish diplomatic relations with the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity. By the time the San Francisco Conference meets on April 25 it is our hope that the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity will be in existence and that the major nations will have established diplomatic relations with it. Of course, in that event the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity will receive an invitation to send representatives to the United Nations Conference at San Francisco. End of background.20
A correspondent asked the Acting Secretary if it could be assumed that no invitation to the conference would be issued to any Polish group if at that time the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity were not yet in existence. Mr. Grew replied that he believed his statement to the effect that if the new Polish Government were in existence, it would receive an invitation to the Conference, covered the situation.
A correspondent asked whether this new Polish Government would have to be recognized by the major nations before the issuance of this invitation, and Mr. Grew replied that, off the record, he would say that the new Polish Government would be recognized prior to that time. End of off the record.
Mr. Grew then called attention to his background statement which he had just given to the corresponds [correspondents] (see above) in which he had said that it was our hope that the new Government of Poland would be in existence and that the major nations would have established diplomatic relations with it. He explained that by major nations he meant the sponsoring powers.
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- Acting Secretary Grew informed the Ambassadors in the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, France, and China (telegram 1665, March 4, 5 p.m., to London, repeated as 498 to Moscow, 372 to Chungking, and 877 to Paris) that the statement with respect to an invitation not being issued to Poland at the present time would not be released to the press but, instead, the Acting Secretary would, in response to press questions, give the correspondents the substance of it for background but not for quotation or attribution to the Department or any official thereof. (500.CC/3–445) For text of statement proposed, see telegram 366, February 22, 9 p.m., to Mexico City, p. 83.↩
- See memorandum of March 22 from the Soviet Embassy, p. 147.↩