Office of the Historian

860C.00/8–1446: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in the Soviet Union (Durbrow)

secret
us urgent
Washington, August 14, 1946—7 p.m.

1486. You are instructed deliver communication to SovGov along following lines:6

“Under instructions from my Gov I have honor to transmit herewith copy of note which my Gov intends transmit PolGov on subject of holding free elections in Poland.7 In view responsibilities assumed [Page 492] by Govs of SovUnion, UK and USA under Yalta and Potsdam agreements my Gov hopes SovGov will also take steps to impress upon PolGov importance which it attaches to insuring necessary conditions for holding free and unfettered elections in Poland. Similar approach being made BritGov.”8

Text proposed note to PolGov contained in immediately following tel. Please inform Dept and Warsaw promptly of delivery of note in order our note may be transmitted to PolGov approximately 24 hours after its delivery to SovFonOff.9 For your info Brit and ourselves intend make public texts our respective notes to PolGov shortly after their delivery. Repeated to Warsaw, Paris and London.10

Acheson
  1. The communication to the Soviet Government was delivered on August 16.↩
  2. For text of the United States note as delivered to the Polish Foreign Ministry on August 19, see Department of State Bulletin, September 1, 1946, p. 422.↩
  3. The text of a parallel British note, also delivered on August 19, was published in the British press on August 21.↩
  4. Telegram 772, August 14, to Warsaw, containing text of the note to be delivered to the Polish Government was not received in Warsaw until August 17, due to commercial cable difficulties. The note was ultimately delivered to the Polish Foreign Ministry during the evening of August 19 at the same time the British note was delivered.↩
  5. Repeated to Warsaw as telegram 771, to Paris as 4095, and to London as 6046.↩