Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Eastern Europe, The Soviet Union, Volume VI

860C.24/3–846: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Poland (Lane)

secret

Washington, March 8, 1946—12 p.m.

168. Urtel 261, March 1, paragraph 4.⁷⁸ For your information Dept desires to clarify that line of credit of $50 million for purchase of surplus property now under discussion and possible Eximbank loan to Poland of $50 million are unrelated questions. Surplus property purchase arrangement is not a “loan” and should not be related to any prospective Eximbank loan to Poland. Also surplus purchase arrangement does not represent a commitment by the US that surplus property in amount of $50 million can be made available to Poland. Arrangement simply means that if surplus property wanted by Poland is available and if detailed agreement on conditions can be reached, Foreign Liquidation Commissioner will sell to Poland on credit terms within limits agreed.

Surplus property to be sold to Poland under above arrangement does not include munitions or military supplies. Dept assumes that statements of Marshal Rola Zymierski⁷⁹ reported urtel 261, paragraph 5,⁸⁰ refer not to above surplus property arrangement but to previous Polish request for military equipment which was rejected by Dept. Dept has no intention of reopening this question at this time.

Byrnes

78. Not printed; this telegram reported an unofficial and private discussion which Ambassador Lane had with an unnamed Polish Government official on February 27 regarding the possibility of compensation for American properties affected by Polish nationalization decrees. Paragraph 4 of the telegram stated that the Polish official had urged Lane to recommend a credit of $100 million to Poland, the greater part of which would be in surplus war supplies. (660C.6131/3–146)
79. Marshal Michal Rola-Zymierski, Polish Minister of Defense and Vice President of the Presidium of the National Council of the Homeland.
80. According to the cited portion of the telegram under reference, Marshal Rola-Zymierski, in the course of a luncheon at the Yugoslav Embassy on February 28, 1946, insisted on United States aid to Poland, especially army supplies (660C.6131/3–146).