239. Letter From Senator John F. Kennedy to the Secretary of State1
Dear Mr. Secretary: I am writing to reassure you that there is within the Congress a considerable body of opinion which would look with favor upon an Administration decision approving economic assistance to the people of Poland.2
Despite the unfortunate extent to which the Communists retain control over the present Polish Government, the Polish people themselves have made a determined and courageous fight to win some degree of national independence from the Soviet Union. They appear to have been at least temporarily successful in lessening the iron control that the Soviets have hitherto exercised over their lives—and their ability and willingness to turn to this nation for assistance for the first time should be encouraged, not castigated. If there is even a slight chance that this demonstration of friendship on our part will help the Polish people to loosen further the bonds of Soviet domination, then the obvious gains to this nation and the Free World will have been well worth the effort. If, on the other hand, Poland should once again slip completely behind the Iron Curtain, then this nation will have at least demonstrated to the world our willingness to help impoverished people in any land, whatever the political situation may be.
I recognize, of course, that others have pointed out advantages for us in refusing aid to the Poles—it will make matters more difficult for their Communist government and absentee Soviet masters, and it will demonstrate our recognition of the degree to which the Polish Government is still within the orbit of Soviet control and ideology. But hunger has never been a weapon of American foreign policy—and if we can score these “cold-war” advantages only by turning a deaf ear to Polish hunger and misery, then we will have won only a dubious “victory” at best.
It is true, too, that we have thus far looked in vain for any Polish move to better relations between our nations—such as lifting those restrictions that make it difficult for Polish citizens to accept private gifts of food and other material from relatives and friends in this country. But these issues can never be settled satisfactorily if this nation refuses to negotiate on their requests to us.
[Page 590]As a result of the systematic policy of economic and political exploitation the Russians have carried out within Poland in the last decade, the Polish people are extremely hard-pressed to maintain even a minimum standard of living. This economic problem is being accentuated by the fact that many thousands of Poles previously deported to Siberia are now returning to their native land homeless, hungry, destitute, and in poor health.
I visited Poland less than two years ago,3 and I know first-hand of the population’s rejection of Communist philosophy. Poland may still be a satellite government—but the Poles are not satellite people. To deny them help because they have not been able to shake off total Communist control would be a brutal and dangerous policy, either increasing their dependence on Russia or driving them into the slaughter of a fruitless, premature revolt.
Such assistance, of course, should contain the strongest possible safeguards to prevent its exploitation for political purposes by the Polish Government. Particular attention should be focused on those forms of assistance which will be of direct benefit to the Polish people, such as the shipment of surplus foodstuffs and the sale of farm machinery.
I realize, of course, that international political considerations are involved here; but, important as these considerations are, they should not obscure the basic human values at stake.
Sincerely yours,
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 748.5–MSP/3–1257.↩
- On March 8, however, Senator William F. Knowland (R.–California), told Kalijarvi that economic assistance to Poland was a very dangerous course of action. (Memorandum of conversation by Kalijarvi; ibid., 848.00/3–857)↩
- Kennedy visited Poland in September 1955. Documentation on this subject is ibid., 033.1100–KE.↩