860F.014/7–245: Telegram

The Chargé in Czechoslovakia ( Klieforth ) to the Secretary of State

54. Clementis, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, requested me to see him this morning.

(1)
He said negotiations with Poles in Moscow regarding Teschen resulted in no decision. Neither side surrendered its claims but both parties agreed to avoid frontier incidents. Russians maintained formal neutral attitude but recommended that dispute be referred to peace conference.37
(2)
He added that Czechoslovakia “was pleased” to complete transfer of Ruthenia to Russia. Full text of agreement follows by [Page 519] pouch. In return Russians agreed to evacuate all Russian troops from Czechoslovakia by July 5th except for 9 divisions about 90,000 troops which would remain along Czechoslovak-German frontier.
(3)
Czechoslovak Commission in Moscow also discussed with Russia all Czech claims for rectification of frontier including Glatz and Leobschutz area together with quite an extensive but narrow strip along practically entire Czech-German frontier. He promised to send me full description of this area at an early date. Russians told Czechs that boundary changes would have to be settled at peace conference.

Sent Dept as 54; rptd Moscow as 13.

Klieforth
  1. In telegram 2276, June 26, from Moscow, Ambassador Harriman reported on a visit by Premier Fierlinger in the course of which Fierlinger stated that negotiations with the Poles at Moscow regarding Teschen had come to no conclusion, that Poles were pressing their claim particularly because of their loss of territory to the Soviet Union, and that the Poles also rejected Czech claims to Kladsko (860F.00/6–2645). In telegram 46, June 29, from Prague, Chargé Klieforth reported having been informed by President Beneš that Czechoslovakia would never give up its claims to Teschen (860F.01/6–2945). In telegram 33, August 6, from Warsaw, Ambassador Arthur B. Lane reported the opinion of the Czechoslovak Ambassador in Poland, Joseph Hejret, that Polish agitation over Teschen had been fostered by the Soviet Government in order to make its influence further felt in Poland and Czechoslovakia; Hejret also stated that the Soviet Government had called Polish and Czechoslovak representatives to Moscow to discuss the frontier problems (760C.60F/8–645).