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

800.4016 DP/8–445

The British Chargé (Balfour) to the Acting Secretary of State

His Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires presents his compliments to the Acting Secretary of State and has the honour to inform him that, in the opinion of His Majesty’s Government, the transfer of Allied recognition to the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity⁷⁶ makes it desirable to consider what arrangements should be made for the present maintenance and future repatriation of Polish displaced persons in Germany. The matter is of some urgency in view of the suggestion made by the Polish Provisional Government at Potsdam that they send a mission to discuss the repatriation of these Poles with the Allied Control Commission. The Polish Provisional Government are likely to do their utmost, for manpower reasons, to get these Poles back to Poland quickly.

2. His Majesty’s Government have so far been at pains to ensure that no Poles, whether displaced persons, members of the Polish Armed Forces or refugees in British territory, should be asked straightaway to make a final decision whether or not to return to Poland since it is hoped that, by waiting, the number of those who choose to return will tend to increase. His Majesty’s Government understand, however, that while instructions were issued by SHAEF for Poles to be registered for repatriation, no repatriation of Poles from Germany has in fact taken place except from the United States zone, and that of the ten to fifteen thousand Poles so repatriated a number have already made their way back from Poland.

3. His Majesty’s Government have no wish to obstruct the speedy repatriation of any Poles who have already decided that they wish to return to Poland and since His Majesty’s Government desire as many as possible to return eventually, they are ready to give the Polish Provisional Government all proper opportunities for appealing to Polish displaced persons to return home and for making their case known to them. They are, however, advised that there would be a grave risk of a complete breakdown of discipline if the representatives of the Polish Provisional Government were to replace immediately the present Polish Liaison Officers. His Majesty’s Government consider that they have a certain obligation to ensure, so far as possible, in the interests both of the individual Poles and of the Polish Government, that the former are not forced to make an immediate final decision in the absence of proper means of forming a judgment. It is known that Monsieur Mikolajczyk⁷⁷ and his friends attach importance to this point. Polish prisoners-of-war and displaced persons have been cut off in Germany from all knowledge of the outside world for a long time and many of them have a natural bias against the New Government. Besides, the fact that in the matter of repatriation eastwards the Russian displaced persons have at present an absolute priority makes it impossible to organize any large scale repatriation of Poles in the immediate future. Also, Poles will be the more encouraged to volunteer for repatriation if the arrangements made for repatriation are orderly and humane and especially if some assurance can be secured from the Polish Provisional Government as to the conditions in Poland to which they will be returning. The fact that a number of those repatriated have already returned to Germany from Poland will already tend to increase the doubts of those in Germany who have not yet decided to return.

4. On all the above grounds it seems to His Majesty’s Government very important that orderly and fair arrangements should be agreed with the Warsaw authorities for enabling these Poles to make their decision at their leisure, without undue pressure, and with knowledge of the relevant factors and for ensuring that the repatriation of those who choose to go is carried out in good conditions. The authority exercised by the Allied Military Commanders over what is done in their occupation zones and the probable anxiety of the Polish Provisional Government to secure the early return of the maximum number of their nationals ought together to make it possible for such arrangements to be made. In this connexion it seems important from the political standpoint, both for the future of Poland and for His Majesty’s Government and United States Government, that displaced persons and prisoners-of-war who return should carry with them favourable recollections of their treatment by British and United States authorities.

5. His Majesty’s Government understand that responsibility in respect of displaced persons in the British, American and French zones has now passed from SHAEF to the respective Zone Commanders whose policy is formulated through the Combined Displaced Persons Executive which is intended to last only until some other co-ordinating machinery can be established. It is essential therefore to secure general agreement to a policy in respect of Polish Displaced Persons which would be implemented through CDPX and its successor by the Allied Commanders in each Zone.

6. His Majesty’s Government therefore propose,

(a) that no scheme should be instituted to register for repatriation Polish displaced persons in Germany until a statement has been obtained from the Polish Provisional Government regarding the conditions under which the Poles would return to Poland and until the repatriation of Soviet nationals, which has first priority, has been completed and arrangements have been made with representatives of the Polish Provisional Government for the orderly repatriation of Poles. Arrangements should, however, be made at once by the Combined Displaced Persons Executive (CDPX) to repatriate any Poles who volunteer to return to Poland without being asked to do so,

(b) that the Polish Provisional Government should be approached on similar lines by the United States Government and His Majesty’s Government with a request that they should appoint representatives to discuss with British and American representatives the best manner of handling the problem in an orderly way. It is suggested that these discussions might take place in London or in the British or American zone. If the transfer of responsibility for these Polish displaced persons from the existing Polish Liaison Officers to representatives of the Polish Provisional Government is to be achieved in a peaceful and orderly fashion, it seems desirable for contact between the two to be effected under British and American auspices,

(c) that the two Governments should resist all attempts to discuss this subject in the Allied Control Commission where it would be the subject of Soviet intervention. The Soviet Government would at once demand that all displaced persons refusing to return home should be excluded from the services provided by U.N.R.R.A. It is therefore desirable to negotiate direct with the Polish Provisional Government who would be responsible for making any necessary arrangements with the Soviet authorities for repatriation across the Soviet zone.

7. Mr. Balfour would be grateful if the Acting Secretary of State would convey to him the views of the United States Government on this matter as soon as possible.

Washington, August 4, 1945.

76. Recognition of this Government by the United States occurred on July 5, 1945; for documentation on the negotiations between the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union regarding the establishment of a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, see vol. v, pp. 110 ff.; for a statement by the President and an exchange of messages on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, see Department of State Bulletin, July 8, 1945, p. 47.
77. Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity.