500.CC/3–1545: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant )

2018. Dept has received an aide-memoire from the Soviet Embassy57 stating that the Soviet Government agrees that the new Provisional Polish Government of National Unity be invited to be represented at the San Francisco Conference if the reorganization of the Polish Provisional Government is completed by the time that Conference is convened. The aide-mémoire states that if this is not achieved or completed by that time, the Soviet Government considers that the Polish Provisional Government now acting in Warsaw should be invited. Immediate discussion of the question is stated to be necessary and it is pointed out that the Soviet Government has not [Page 125] objected to India or such small countries as Haiti, Liberia and Paraguay being invited to the Conference although they are not in diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. We understand that a similar aide-mémoire has been delivered to the British Government.

We propose to instruct Harriman to inform Molotov that this Government could not agree to an invitation being extended to the Provisional Polish Government now acting in Warsaw’ as we believe that such action would make even more difficult the establishment of the Provisional Government of National Unity on the broad democratic basis that was agreed to at the Crimea Conference.58 He will be authorized to state that we share Mr. Molotov’s views as to the importance of having Poland represented at San Francisco and consider this an additional reason for expediting the formation of the Provisional Government of National Unity. Harriman will be instructed to point out that the case of the countries mentioned by Mr. Molotov which are not in diplomatic relation with the Soviet Union would not appear to be parallel as there are no rival governments of these countries recognized by any of the United Nations. In the event that a new Government has not been formed before the San Francisco Conference, the Soviet and American Governments would be in the position of recognizing different Polish Governments and the view of this Government is that Poland could not in these circumstances be represented. The United States Government would be agreeable, however, to the issuance of an invitation if the new Government should be formed while the San Francisco Conference is still in session.

Please discuss the foregoing with the ForOf and inform the Dept urgently of the British views. Please inform Schoenfeld.

Repeated to Moscow as Depts 610.

Stettinius
  1. Dated March 9, p. 113.
  2. See telegram 3117, March 26, 7 p.m., from London, p. 159.