840.4016/12–1645: Telegram
The Ambassador in Poland (Lane) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 23—8:45 a.m.]
685. I informed Foreign Minister93 December 15 re complaints that Germans leaving Poland have been subjected to unduly harsh treatment on part of Poles. I said that we were bringing this situation to notice of Polish Govt in accordance with Article 13 of Potsdam decision but that we do not wish this representation to be construed of [as] a lack of sympathy on our part for the suffering which the Poles had undergone at hands of the Germans.
Minister said that instructions had been issued to carry out evictions of Germans in most humane manner but often without knowledge of Pol officials, local Pol population which has bitter feelings towards Germans takes matter into its own hands. Rzymowski said that Pol Govt did not desire to take vengeance on German people.
Zebrowski,94 who was present at interview, said that Germans are not being treated worse than the Poles and referred to conditions of Poles now returning from Soviet Union in open freight cars (in Krakow I heard many complaints re condition of returning Poles in unusually cold weather resulting in death of six children last week in trainload).
Sent to Dept as 685; repeated to Berlin as 161.
Our last No. to SecState for 1945 was 733.