Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume V

760C.61/4–1645: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, April 16, 1945—7 p.m.
[Received April 16—6:26 p.m.]

1198. Assistant Commissar Vyshinski requested me to call this afternoon. He stated that recently in Poland there had been a great public demand for the conclusion of a Soviet Polish treaty of mutual assistance and that Soviet circles were in favor of such a treaty. He attempted to justify this move on the fact that Poland, a country which had a common frontier with the Soviet Union, had often served as an important “invasion corridor” and that since the Soviet Government was greatly assisting the Poles in supplying arms and in the rehabilitation of their country it was desirable to place Soviet Polish relations on a more legal basis. Such a treaty, which would be similar to the Czech and Yugoslav treaties,⁴⁷ would serve this purpose. He requested me to inform my Government that the treaty is now being prepared.

Vyshinski evaded my question as to when the treaty would be signed. I said that I would inform my Government what he told me; however, speaking personally I felt confident that my Government would prefer holding it up until the new Polish Government had been formed. I continued that according to my personal opinion the world would interpret the signing of such a treaty before the formulation of the new Government as an indication that the Soviet Government did not intend to carry out the Crimea decision. Vyshinski maintained that the Crimea decisions did not preclude the conclusion by the Soviet Union of a treaty with Poland or any other country and that such a treaty would not be a contradiction of the decisions. He reiterated that Soviet Polish relations had developed to such a point that it was impossible to postpone the conclusion of the treaty which would clarify these relations especially at a time when the Soviet Government was assisting Poland to such a great extent. I said that as I had no instructions I of course could not discuss this question; however, I would ask that my Government be given the privilege of expressing its views on the treaty before signature, Vyshinski said that he had no authority to discuss my request. I asked him to convey my request to his Government.

Sent to Department as 1198, repeated to London for Schoenfeld as 161.

Harriman

47. For text of the treaty of friendship, mutual assistance, and postwar collaboration, with protocol, between the Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Republic, signed at Moscow on December 12, 1943, see British and Foreign State Papers, vol. cxlv, p. 238, or Department of State, Documents and State Papers, vol. i, No. 4 (July 1948), p. 228, In regard to the negotiation of this treaty, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. iii, Index, p. 1131, entries under “Czechoslovakia: Relations with Soviet Union.” For text of the treaty of friendship, mutual aid, and postwar cooperation between the Soviet Union and the Regency Council of Yugoslavia, signed at Moscow on April 11, 1945, see Department of State Bulletin, April 22, 1945, p. 774, or Department of State, Documents and State Papers, vol. i, No. 4 (July 1948), p. 231. For documentation regarding the negotiation of this treaty, see post, pp. 1218–1223, passim.