711.60C/7–2246
Memorandum by the Deputy Director of the Office of European Affairs (Hickerson) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: In an interview granted to H. W. Lawrence of the New York Times and published in that paper on July 20, the President of the Polish National Council, Boleslaw Bierut, attacked the American Ambassador at Warsaw, Mr. Lane, who, President Bierut is reported to have stated “could not or would not endeavor to understand the Polish people”. Beirut is further reported to have said that while Poland’s problems have found ready understanding with some Americans “we (the Polish Government) have more difficulty convincing Mr. Bliss Lane of our sincere wish for the most cordial relations because Mr. Bliss Lane does not believe us very much”. This, said Bierut, is “a psychological problem” with Mr. Lane who “either cannot or will not understand our problems”. It is significant that Bierut has not acceded to Ambassador Lane’s request for an interview since the Ambassador’s return from Paris in May.
The ticker this morning reported a story in the London Observer [Page 484] to the effect that the Polish Government is requesting that Ambassador Lane be recalled because he sent a member of the Embassy staff to the recent interview which the Polish Primate, Cardinal Hlond, gave to American press correspondents on the subject of the Anti-Jewish Outbreak in Kielce, Poland. Ambassador Lane reported on July 13 that at the request of the American correspondents a member of the Embassy staff acted as interpreter at the interview with the Cardinal. No official report has been received, however, regarding the Observer’s story.
The two stories obviously point to a definite campaign on the part of the Polish Government to discredit Ambassador Lane. This bears some resemblance to a previous attempt to do the same thing when you were misquoted by officials of the Polish Foreign Office following an interview you gave to Polish Vice Minister Modzelewski in London. At that time the Poles attempted to show that Ambassador Lane was not properly representing the Department.
I feel that these latest incidents give the Department an opportunity to express its confidence in Ambassador Lane, and that this should be done either in reply to a question at your next press conference or by a special release to the press. If we do not take this opportunity it is quite probable that the Polish Government will point to our silence as a further proof of its contention. For this reason I believe the statement should be issued as promptly as possible. I am therefore attaching a draft statement for your consideration.91
- For text of the statement of August 3 by the Acting Secretary of State regarding the continuing confidence of the United States Government in Ambassador Lane, see Department of State Bulletin, August 11, 1946, p. 265.↩