860C.00/4–1946: Telegram
The Ambassador in Poland (Lane) to the Secretary of State
most immediate
[Received April 21—9:41 a.m.]
550. I called on Acting FonMin Modzelewski today and made oral statement to him along lines of Deptel 322, April 16. Lt. Tonesk then translated to him in Polish the text of a memo in English which I left with Modzelewski. I was anxious that there should be no misrepresentation of my remarks. I emphasized and the memo so stated that Dept has instructed me to telegraph urgently Polish Govt’s reaction to the points presented by the Dept.19
[Page 430]As to the referendum Modzelewski said that it has a political purpose: To ascertain the position of the various parties. He said the referendum would contain three points (1) are you in favor of a Chamber and Senate or of only a Chamber (2) are you in favor of the principles of the Agrarian Reform Law and the decrees of nationalization of industry being embodied in the new Constitution (3) are you in favor of the frontier of Poland up to the Oder and Dnieper [Neisse] Line being stable. Answers to all three questions will be yes or no.
Modzelewski said that although all six parties are in agreement that referendum should be held they are not all agreed on the questions which are to be submitted to the people. For instance he said that Popiel’s20 Labor Party is in favor of a bicameral Congress. He said that this referendum would be freely held and would probably be in June the date to be definitely fixed at forthcoming meeting of KRN.
As to holding of elections to which the referendum will be a preface Modzelewski said firmly that Poland has no intention not to live up to its Yalta and Potsdam commitments and that I could assure the Department that free elections will be held. He expressed his unofficial view that they will be held in October. He said that it would not be possible to hold the elections until after the harvest as it was desirable that the population should not be starving at the time of the elections. He said that the PriMin will in his address to the KRN discuss elections and that they would also undoubtedly be discussed by the KRN but he said he could not definitely state whether the date of elections will be fixed at the forthcoming meeting of the KRN or later. He said that Mikolajczyk’s party desires to have the elections concurrently with the referendum or immediately thereafter but that a majority of the KRN would undoubtedly vote for a date in the Autumn.
As Modzelewski indicated that he had fully answered my questions I reminded him of the Dept’s request that Polish Govt make statement reaffirming its Potsdam commitments and that this statement should be published throughout Poland. Modzelewski said that this was a matter which he personally could not decide but that he would be glad to submit it to the Council of Ministers which meets next Thursday April 25 and that he would notify me of the Council’s decision either Friday or Saturday following.
He said that a draft electoral law has been prepared by the electoral committee of the KRN and that this will be submitted to the KRN for its approval. He promised to send me unofficially a copy [Page 431] of this draft in accordance with the request which I had made on April 1 in accordance with Deptel 268, March 29.
I pointed out in conversation which was pleasant throughout that I hoped very much Council of Ministers would accede to our request for public declaration. I reiterated Dept’s opinion that such a statement would have beneficial effect on relations between two countries and would serve to dissipate unfavorable attitude which exists in certain quarters in US as a result of present conditions in Poland. Modzelewski expressed opinion that the questions raised in Dept’s telegram would undoubtedly be answered in the various speeches which would be made during the meeting of the KRN. I reiterated my hope however that the Govt would see fit to accede to our request.21
- Telegram 567, April 25, from Warsaw, reported that on April 24 Ambassador Cavendish-Bentinck handed a note to the Polish Acting Foreign Minister along the lines of the memorandum presented by Ambassador Lane (860C.00/4–2546).↩
- Karol Popiel, President of the Executive Committee of the Labor Party (Stronnictwo Pracy)–SP.↩
- In telegram 637, May 2, from Warsaw, the Ambassador reported the receipt of the following note from Acting Foreign Minister Modzelewski, dated April 29: “In answer to Your Excellency’s memorandum of 18 April 1946 on the subject of elections in Poland, I have the honor to express the opinion that the statement of the Prime Minister of the Polish Provisional Govt of National Unity made at the tenth session of the National Council of the Homeland on the 26 April 1946 completely explains and disposes of the question raised in the memorandum referred to.” (860C.00/5–246) Prime Minister Osóbka-Morawski’s remarks are quoted in the aide-mémoire from the Polish Embassy, April 30, p. 440.↩