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

860C.00/3–1946: Telegram

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

secret
us urgent

Washington, April 6, 1946—5 p.m.

299. Urtels 377⁹⁹ and 380.¹ You are authorized to address note to Pol FonOff along general lines set forth below. In drafting note Embassy’s copy of minutes Moscow meetings should be consulted and further conference with Mikolajczyk will be desirable to coordinate our version of agreements with his in order to make sure position taken in note is consistent with firm agreements made:

US Govt has learned with some surprise that member of SL has been appointed Minister of Posts and Telegraphs and that Kapelinski member of PSL and acting director of Ministry has been dismissed.

Pol Govt will recall that full agreement was reached in conversations re formation Pol Prov Govt which were held at Moscow in spring of 1945 and that numerical representation in Cabinet of Poles within and outside Poland was decided upon at that time with complete concurrence of Polish reps. It will also be recalled that Prov Govt, as agreed upon by Pol reps and reps of USSR, UK and US in accordance with decisions made at Crimea Conference, was established and recognized as provisional Govt only pending holding of elections and formation of representative Govt. It must be apparent to Pol Prov Govt that specific obligations assumed at Moscow can hardly be fulfilled if agreement in question is to be subject to unilateral change by that Govt.

While US Govt is aware that Mr. Thugutt, who was originally appointed Minister of Posts and Telegraphs, declined to accept position, it is not clear why Pol Prov Govt found it necessary or desirable to disturb balance agreed upon at Moscow by appointing member of SL to position. In accordance with spirit of Moscow Agreement US Govt is obliged to point out that number of Cabinet reps of those democratic elements which were not participating in Lublin Govt prior to Moscow conversations should not be reduced.

The US Govt would appreciate receiving an explanation of Pol Govts reasons for the action described.

Embassies at Moscow and London are instructed to bring above to attention of Govts to which accredited and invite them as parties to Moscow Agreement to associate themselves with this Govt in making similar representations.²

To Warsaw as 299 repeated Moscow as 640 London as 3015.

Byrnes

99. Dated March 19, not printed; in it Ambassador Lane reported that British Ambassador Cavendish-Bentinck had requested instructions from London to address a note to the Polish Government reminding it of the assurances given at Potsdam by Bierut to Prime Minister Clement Attlee that elections would be held as early as possible in 1946. Cavendish-Bentinck recommended that Ambassador Lane be given instructions to deliver a similar note. (860C.00/3–1946)
1. Dated March 19, p. 414.
2. Telegram 1081, April 8, from Moscow, suggested that the Embassy in Moscow postpone taking up with the Soviet Government the Department’s instructions until Ambassador Lane’s proposed method of approach had been decided. The telegram continued: “This appears all the more desirable since from our record of minutes of Moscow meetings it does not seem that firm agreement was reached between Polish leaders on proportional representation of parties in government nor any agreement that such proportional representation as was established when Provisional Government was formed in July 1945 would be maintained until elections.” (8600.00/4–846)