Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

840.50 UNRRA/9–2445: Telegram

The Ambassador in Poland (Lane) to the Secretary of State

Warsaw, September 24, 1945—2 p.m.
[Received September 27—10:45 p.m.]

286. Following are answers to questions Department’s telegram 105, September 14 based on observations Embassy staff and reports from reliable sources:

1. Certain UNRRA articles have been placed on sale in the open market at exaggerated prices but this practice according to UNRRA representatives here has ceased at their request (see my telegram 200, September 5 for Lehman⁵).

2. Pilferage has been reported particularly in connection with supplies arriving through Constanza but it is reported that much of this pilferage had taken place prior to arrival of shipments in Poland. It is expected that this situation will improve now that UNRRA ships are arriving at Danzig-Gdynia. Embassy has no reports of deflection of UNRRA railway shipments within Poland but it must be recognized that this risk exists. For example, it is reported that shipments of coal destined to Warsaw and other cities are sometimes forcibly re-routed by Russians to USSR.

3. There is no doubt that much of the UNRRA material expected here will be required to replace articles removed as war booty by Soviets. It is reported that western Poland and other areas have been stripped by the Soviets of all farming and dairying machinery (see my telegram 182, August 31⁶ re conversation with Mikolajczyk). Wholesale pillaging (see my telegram 133, August 24 reporting Vice President Grabski’s opinions⁷) appears to be dwindling, probably because there is little left to pillage; nevertheless Embassy still receives sporadic reports of such activity on part of Russians.

Polish officials are aware of whereabouts in Germany of Polish livestock removed from country by Germans (see my airgram A–21, August 31⁸) but they are reluctant to have them returned to Poland for fear they will be seized by Soviets. If these fears are well founded there is certainly the possibility that some of the livestock imported by UNRRA would suffer similar fate.

UNRRA representatives here report Polish authorities very willing to comply with UNRRA’s suggestions regarding distribution and disposal of supplies. No difficulty therefore is perceived from this quarter but, as long as Soviet troops continue in Poland in sizeable strength as at present, it should be borne in mind that the Polish Government’s control over such matters is more theoretical than actual.

Air report follows together, with comments on effect of UNRRA activities on commercial transactions.⁹

Lane

5. Not printed.
6. Not printed; it summarized the Ambassador’s first private talk with Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, covering several subjects. Feeling was reported to be rising against the Soviet Army because of its lawlessness, and the Poles were said to be unwilling to re-settle areas occupied by the Red Army for this reason. Mikolajczyk had complained about this situation to Marshal Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovski, Commander of the Soviet Northern Group of Forces, who claimed that army deserters alone were responsible for the trouble. Mikolajczyk did not believe this was true. (860C.00/8–3145)
7. Not printed; the Ambassador reported on a conversation held August 23 with Stanislaw Grabski, Vice President of the National Council of the Homeland in the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity. Grabski talked of the increasingly serious situation, especially in western Poland, due to Soviet pillaging and related an incident of looting which had befallen his daughter at her home in Krakow. The conversation also dealt with several other topics. (860C.00/8–2445)
8. Not printed; it transmitted information received from an official of the Polish Ministry of Agriculture, who stated that of 3,900,000 horses in Poland at the outbreak of the war only 500,000 remained. The Soviets had seized 100,000 horses in the Poznan area alone and still continued the practice. Furthermore, the Polish official maintained, the Soviet forces drove livestock into the Russian zone of Germany from Poland and sent them thence into the Soviet Union as war booty from Germany. (860C.62211/8–3145)
9. Not printed.