860C.01/4–2245
Minutes of First Meeting Regarding the Polish Question65
| Principal Participants: | Mr. Stettinius |
| Mr. Eden | |
| Mr. Molotov | |
| Mr. Dunn | |
| Mr. Harriman | |
| Sir Alexander Cadogan66 | |
| Sir Archibald Clark-Kerr |
(The first part of the Polish discussion, in which Mr. Eden and Mr. Stettinius emphasized the extreme displeasure of the British and American Governments at the signing of the mutual aid pact with the Warsaw Poles etc., was not recorded since the officer assigned to this task was called out on other urgent business.)
Mr. Eden stated that in the message the Prime Minister and the President sent to Marshal Stalin on April 18, the text of which Mr. Molotov has asked for, our position was made quite clear regarding the position the Warsaw Government was to play in the new Provisional Government. He then read the following passage from the message: “We have never denied that among the three elements from which the new Provisional Government of National Unity is to be formed the representatives of the present Warsaw Government will play, unquestionably, a prominent part.”
Mr. Molotov replied that the Crimea decision says more than that. It stipulates that the present Provisional Government in Poland is to be reorganized. The Crimea decision, on the other hand, does not refer to the Polish Government-in-exile in London, instead it favors the Provisional Government in Warsaw. The American and British Governments on the other hand have assumed the attitude that the Warsaw Government is just one of the elements which is to be used to make up the new Government of National Unity.
Mr. Eden pointed out that at Crimea we tried to lay the basis for the formation of a new government in Poland to be made up in part from Poles inside and outside of Poland. He added that when Mr. Molotov has had a chance to read the joint message from the Prime Minister and the President, he will see that there are new proposals set forth therein which form a practical basis to bring about a creation of a new Government of National Unity.
[Page 238]Mr. Molotov stated that he would like to see the message in order to study it more carefully.
Mr. Stettinius stated that in this connection he desired to read the next to the last paragraph of the Crimea declaration on Poland. The following paragraph was read to Mr. Molotov:
“When a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity has been properly formed in conformity with the above, the government of the U.S.S.R., which now maintains diplomatic relations with the present provisional government of Poland, and the government of the United Kingdom and the government of the U.S.A. will establish diplomatic relations with the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, and will exchange ambassadors by whose reports the respective governments will be kept informed about the situation in Poland.”
He pointed out that this paragraph is very clear and most important.
Mr. Molotov replied that he agreed that this paragraph is very clear, but added that the declaration also points out how we can establish a new Polish Government of National Unity.
Mr. Eden brought out the fact that the new Treaty of Mutual Assistance just signed between the Polish and Soviet Governments indicates that the Soviet Government is satisfied with the present Warsaw Government which was certainly not the idea expressed in the Yalta declaration and is certainly not the idea of the British Government and he believed that it was not the idea of the American Government, both of which made it quite clear that they desired to see established a new government in Poland. He added that the fact that the Soviet Government had signed this treaty with the present Warsaw regime was most disquieting to his Government and he believed also to the Government of the United States.
Mr. Stettinius confirmed Mr. Eden’s statement.
Mr. Molotov replied that it cannot be denied that the Warsaw Government is the only one now functioning in Poland. He added that of course it would be desirable to arrive at an agreement which would meet the views of the three Governments, but stated that developments continue to take place and that Germany has found herself in a more difficult position since Crimea. Under these circumstances the wishes of the Polish and Soviet peoples to satisfy their desires to assist each other is understandable. He stated that if a new Polish Government of National Unity is formed, no one cold imagine that such a new Polish government would refuse to accept the treaty which has just been signed with the Soviet Union. He pointed out, in this connection, that Poland does not border on the United States and it also does not represent a gateway through which [Page 239] aggressors could attack the United States and the same applies to Great Britain. He stated that in the position in which the American and British Governments are they can put off questions for future consideration but the Soviet Government is in a different position. It is not able to postpone questions but must consolidate and improve relations brought about by the common struggle against Germany. He stated that the United States and Great Britain would act in the same way if they were in the same position as the Soviet Government.
Mr. Stettinius stated that Mr. Molotov desired to study the joint message and he asked Mr. Eden if there were any other questions he would like to discuss at this time and added that we all desire to settle this question in an amicable way, as Mr. Molotov had pointed out.
Mr. Molotov replied that he agreed but he desired to study the message.
Mr. Stettinius pointed out that we must get a solution of this problem before San Francisco.
Mr. Eden added that while it was realized that Mr. Molotov must study the message, we must make progress in these negotiations as Mr. Stettinius had indicated since we have built the San Francisco Conference on a collaboration basis and unless we can show the world that this collaboration is real, the San Francisco Conference will suffer.
Mr. Molotov replied that we must do that but it should be taken into account that we must fulfill the Crimea decisions as agreed upon. He added that so far what has happened is that Poland has been refused permission to send a delegate to San Francisco which is a very bad start.
Mr. Stettinius emphasized that we must bear in mind that this is the case since no new Polish Government of National Unity has been established. In other words, no government has been organized in Poland which we can recognize. He reiterated the fact that the United States Government does not want or intend to go against the Crimea decision.
Mr. Molotov pointed out that of course everyone respected the Governments of Bolivia and Haiti, for instance, and was pleased that representatives of these countries would be at San Francisco. On the other hand, it is regrettable that Poland would not be represented.
Mr. Stettinius pointed out that we would of course be pleased to receive representatives of the new Polish Government of National Unity at San Francisco.
Mr. Molotov replied that it would be hard to create a new Polish government in Washington without any Poles being present here.
[Page 240]Mr. Eden retorted that it was also hard to create a new Polish government in Moscow.
Mr. Molotov agreed that it had proved difficult to do this in Moscow even with Poles nearby.
Mr. Stettinius emphasized the great importance that the United States Government attaches to the question of the settlement of the Polish problem. If we can’t make some concrete progress before the San Francisco Conference it will have a very adverse effect on American public opinion and we, therefore, might find it difficult to obtain the consent of the American people to join the world organization. He then asked whether Mr. Eden and Mr. Molotov would desire to resume the discussion tomorrow as planned or whether it would be best to invite Dr. Soong to come to the meeting in order to discuss procedural problems.
Mr. Eden replied that the most urgent matter was to obtain Mr. Molotov’s reactions to the joint message of the Prime Minister and the President and that if it should be possible to agree on the problems set forth therein it would then be possible to discuss other matters.
Mr. Molotov replied that he would like to do this but asked whether Mr. Stalin’s message could serve as a basis for the discussions.
Mr. Eden pointed out that the joint message is a reply to Stalin’s message and represents our position and goes as far as we can go to meet Stalin’s problems.
Mr. Molotov replied that he felt that if we were to study carefully Stalin’s message we could draw some useful conclusions since this message set forth the position of the Soviet Government.
Mr. Eden stated that the joint message set forth our reply to the position of the Soviet Government as outlined in Stalin’s message.
Mr. Molotov, in stating that he did not remember the exact wording of the joint reply, asked if there were any statement therein indicating that Stalin’s message cannot be used as a basis. He added that perhaps we can discuss this question tomorrow since it seemed to him that Stalin’s message was a very suitable basis and pointed out he was referring to the practical suggestions contained therein.
Mr. Eden stated that when Mr. Molotov reads the joint message he will see how far we have gone to meet Stalin’s ideas and he will see how helpful our suggestions are.
Mr. Molotov replied that Marshal Stalin had recently given very careful study to the Polish question including the matter of the conclusion of the Treaty of Mutual Assistance and he attaches great importance to his ideas as set forth in his message.
Mr. Stettinius asked when it would be desirable to hold the next [Page 241] meeting and it was finally agreed that they should get together at 10:30 the morning of April 23.