360C.1121/3–646: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Poland ( Lane )
us urgent
184. Reurtel 245 of Feb. 26.83 Dept agrees that situation with respect to claimants to American citizenship now detained by PolGov is a serious one and should be resolved in immediate future. Accordingly, you are instructed to address a note to Pol FonOff citing Emb’s previous efforts to communicate with and obtain information concerning [Page 412] claimants to American citizenship who have been arrested during past 6 months and requesting a prompt reply in the premises.
You may in your discretion refer again to Modzelewski’s oral statement made on October 19 that officers of Emb would be permitted to interview all persons claiming American citizenship who are held under arrest by Polish authorities. You may point out that US Govt is greatly concerned over treatment acccorded American citizens held by Polish authorities and that it fails to understand Polish Govt’s refusal to accord to those individuals privileges provided by Polish American treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Consular Rights. This Govt is particularly concerned over reports that American identifying documents held by such claimants to American citizenship have in some cases been confiscated by Pol authorities. You may say that this Govt attaches greatest importance to receipt of a prompt reply from PolGov and a prompt implementation of provisions of the treaty cited. You may also state that if within a reasonable period of time no satisfaction is received from PolGov, US Govt will be forced to give consideration to the issuance of a public statement regarding extraordinary treatment being accorded American citizens by Pol Prov Govt. A draft statement will be transmitted for Emb’s comments before publication.
As you know Dept is endeavoring to arrange for repatriation of American citizens in Poland and hopes that those American citizens who are regarded by PolGov as unsatisfactory from a political standpoint may be repatriated at an early date. It is hoped that the initial group of American citizens can leave Poland in time to board a vessel sailing from Sweden first part of May and that a minimum of 200 persons per month can be shipped via Sweden until such time as more extensive repatriation facilities can be arranged. You are authorized to bring the above to the attention of Pol FonOff also if you think it necessary to do so.84
- Not printed; it asked the Department for instructions regarding the situation of those claimants of American citizenship under arrest in Poland (360C.1121/2–2646).↩
- In telegram 395, March 21, from Warsaw, Ambassador Lane reported the delivery of a note to the Foreign Ministry on March 20 in pursuance of his instructions. At the time of the delivery of the note, Foreign Minister Rzymowski observed that the real difficulty was in determining how many of the claimants of American citizenship had subsequently acquired Polish citizenship. (360C. 1121/3–2146)↩