500.CC/5–745
The Polish Ambassador (Ciechanowski) to the Acting Secretary of State
The Polish Ambassador presents his compliments to the Acting Secretary of State and has the honor to bring the following to his attention.
On May 6th, 1945 the Polish Government sent the following appeal to Secretary of State Stettinius in San Francisco in his capacity of Chairman of the United Nations Conference:
“The declaration made at San Francisco by Mr. Molotov, Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs, to Secretary of State Stettinius and Mr. Eden, that a group of Polish democratic leaders has been arrested by Soviet authorities on the charge of ‘diversionary activities’ against the Red Army, has confirmed the worst fears of the Polish Government. The Polish Government has been keeping the American and British Governments informed of the true state of affairs in this connection ever since the second half of February when the Soviet Government first invited Mr. Jankowski, the Vice Premier of the Polish Government, and Major General Leopold Okuhcki, former Commander-in-Chief of the disbanded Home Army, to initiate conversations which later were held between March 17 and 27 with the above mentioned [Page 288] Vice Premier of the Polish Government, its three Ministers26 who were active in Poland and leaders of Political Parties. The Soviet authorities emphasized the necessity of reaching an understanding ‘in order to clear the atmosphere to let the parties which remained underground to come into the open and join in the common current of democratic forces of independent Poland.’ Anxious to prove their best intentions to reach an understanding with the Soviet Union and trusting in the guarantee of personal safety accorded them by General Ivanov together with the promise to provide them with air transport to enable them to go to London for consultations with the Polish Government and Polish political circles and then to return to Poland, the fourteen Polish leaders accompanied by an interpreter, arrived on March 27 and 28 at Pruszkow near Warsaw for a meeting with General Ivanov.
“In the light of the above facts it is quite evident that in first inviting the Polish leaders to the conference and then arresting them, the Soviet authorities abused the good faith of the Polish Delegates and broke the promises accorded to them.
“After over a month’s silence, to raise unfounded charges against men who for five years had led the struggle of the Polish Nation against the Germans and who later, from March, 1944 until January, 1945, gallantly supported the Red army in armed combat, cannot convince anyone who is impartial and honest. The Soviet accusation is directed against the best sons of Poland who fought for true independence of their country and for real democracy. They are now facing the grave danger of a trial without the possibility of defense and of a verdict in camera. Therefore the Polish Government urgently appeals to the Governments of all the United Nations to do all that is in their power to induce the Soviet Government immediately to set free the leaders of the Polish Underground Movement and to guarantee personal safety to them and to their families.”
This message of the Polish Government was handed to the Secretary of State on May 7th, 1945 by Mr. Wladyslaw Sokolowski, Consul General of Poland in San Francisco.27