840.50 Recovery/6–1847
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Counselor of the Department of State (Cohen)
| Participants: | The Polish Ambassador, Mr. Winiewicz |
| Mr. Cohen | |
| Mr. Thompson1 |
The Ambassador said he had read with great interest the Secretary’s Harvard speech and public remarks made by myself and others with reference to the economic rehabilitation of Europe. He said that he was somewhat confused as to what we had in mind by the “Marshall Plan”. From the Secretary’s remarks it appeared that Eastern European countries would be included, but from press interpretations, particularly in Britain, it had been suggested that it envisaged only Western Europe. His first question, therefore, was: Did we have in mind that Eastern European countries might be included?
I replied by suggesting that he should be guided by the Secretary’s remarks rather than by press interpretations. I said I could only say that my understanding was that we had in mind that the European countries should develop a program that would help Europe as a whole insofar as this was possible. I pointed out, however, that we had been disappointed over the trend of events which seemed to divide rather than unite Europe. I said that, speaking personally, I felt that it might be well to begin with steps or plans which would clearly be in the interest of Europe as a whole to the extent that this might be practicable.
[Page 261]The Ambassador then inquired what practical steps could be taken? Did we have in mind that this would be handled through the ECE or independent of that body?
I replied that I gathered that our position was that this was a question which the European countries should work out for themselves, and that we would neither insist upon nor reject the use of the ECE. I observed, however, that we had been disappointed by the lack of progress made up to date in that body.
The Ambassador said he did not know what his Government’s official views were; he only knew of its great interest. He felt that all of the countries of Eastern Europe were at present considering the Pravda article,2 which was the only expression of opinion so far from the Soviet Union. He personally did not interpret this article as excluding the possibility of Soviet cooperation or that the Soviet Government would oppose the program. He said he thought that the best thing for his country to do was to approach the Czechoslovak Government in the first instance since their positions were similar and their relations had greatly improved recently. He referred to the role that Poland could play in the economy of Europe and mentioned particularly the coal which they were now in a position to supply and their efforts to increase their production and their exports to Western Europe. He mentioned the fact that they had succeeded in obtaining the consent of the Soviet Government to reducing their coal exports to the Soviet Union from the figure earlier agreed upon. He also said that next year Poland would be in a position to help European countries with food. He pointed to the role that Poland had played in the creation of the ECE and the fact that Poland had decreased the proportion of her exports going to the Soviet Union as evidence of Poland’s desire to integrate her economy with that of Western Europe.
In the course of the conversation I observed that assistance from the United States depended upon the attitude of the American people and said that, speaking quite frankly, some of the public declarations and things that were said about American assistance in the countries of Eastern Europe did not put the American people in the best mood to support measures of assistance. I reminded the Ambassador of his presence in Paris at a time when some unfortunate remarks on the part of certain Delegates at the Peace Conference had interfered with measures of assistance to Czechoslovakia. The Ambassador said he fully realized this.
The Ambassador expressed the hope that he would be able to discuss these matters more fully after he had received instructions from his Government.