840.4016 D.P./8–2845: Telegram
The Ambassador in Poland (Lane) to the Secretary of State
166. Re Murphy’s telegram 307 to Department, August 15, 4 p.m.89 I informed President Bierut August 27 regarding Marshal Zhukov’s refusal to furnish gasoline for trucks transporting displaced Poles from Germany to Poland. Bierut said that he hoped it could be arranged for displaced persons to be brought back to Poland by train and that he would have it taken up with the Soviet military authorities. He said that he was apprehensive that physical condition of group would not permit their coming via foot-march. He said that he had no knowledge of the details regarding negotiations for the return of displaced persons group and that he had not been informed of General Wood’s visit or of his talks with General Spychalski and the latter’s staff. I regard this as significant in that the return of 800,000 potential voters should be of the greatest interest to the head of the Polish Government if free elections are to be held here.
It was of course a surprise to me that the President appeared to be uninformed on a matter, the importance of which has been repeatedly emphasized by Polish officials.
Sent to Department, repeated to Berlin as 28.
- Reproduced from confirmation copy; original not received by wire.↩
- Not printed; it reported that the repatriation of Polish displaced persons was becoming a matter of increasing urgency as winter approached, and that American military authorities were considering endeavoring to obtain Polish agreement to the principle of foot-marching the more able-bodied Polish displaced persons from the American zone of Germany back to Poland as a means of accelerating the process of repatriation (800.4016 D.P./8–1545).↩