840.50 UNRRA/6–1845

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs ( Durbrow ) to the Assistant Secretary of State ( Acheson )

Mr. Acheson: The Polish Ambassador today handed me the attached note80 containing the outline of the exchange of correspondence between the Polish Government in Exile and UNRRA relative [Page 986] to the question of the decision taken by Governor Lehman not to send a notification to the Polish Government about the forthcoming meeting of the UNRRA Council.

It will be observed that the note asks that the United States Government “draw the attention of the Director General of UNRRA that the non-notification of the Polish Government about the forthcoming session of the Council is contrary to the Rules of Procedure and that it should kindly request the Director General to carry out his duty of notification …”

The Ambassador orally stated in presenting the note that he had been instructed by his Government to remind the United States Government of the following points:

1.
Poland as an original member of UNRRA has carried out all of its obligations, paid its dues and the Polish Government in Exile consented to have UNRRA deliver supplies to Poland by using such facilities as the Lublin Government might be able to make available to it.
2.
Governor Lehman consulted the Polish Government in Exile in February, 1945 about the date and place of the forthcoming Council meeting and, although the Polish Government agreed to the suggestions made by Governor Lehman, a notification was not sent to the Polish Government about the meeting.
3.
The representatives of the Polish Government have been and continue to be active in assisting UNRRA on the various committees and sub-committees of the organization.
4.
In the opinion of the Polish Government in Exile, the fact that no notification was sent to it was due to pressure brought by the Soviet Government, which itself has not cooperated with UNRRA and is also a receiving country.
5.
The Ambassador stated that his Government hoped to have an early reply from the American Government expressing their views on this subject.

I made no comment to the Ambassador other than to state that I would bring this matter to the attention of the appropriate officials of the Department.82

Elbridge Durbrow
  1. Not printed.
  2. At the Third Council Session, Poland was represented by a delegation from the newly constituted Polish Provisional Government of National Unity; see United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, Journal, Third Session of the Council, London, England, August 7–25, 1945, p. 46.