85. Memorandum of Conversation0
SUBJECT
- US-Polish Relations; Berlin Question
PARTICIPANTS
- Jozef Winiewicz, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister
- Edward Drozniak, Polish Ambassador
- The Secretary
- EE—Herbert S. Malin
Minister Winiewicz called on the Secretary during the course of a brief trip to Washington from New York, where he was heading the Polish UNGA Delegation.
Following a lengthy discussion of events in Laos and Vietnam, Mr. Winiewicz took up US-Polish relations, which he described as of prime importance to Poland. Poland’s wish was to improve relations and [Page 178] achieve closer cooperation, so long as this did not involve any sacrifice of Polish principles. He cited as an example of the imposition of unacceptable political conditions the press tie-in last May of US demands for the recall of ICC Commissioner Thee with Polish requests for a new PL 480 agreement. The new negotiations for grain credit under PL 480 posed similar problems. Whereas Poland treated PL 480 purchases as it does any normal commercial transaction and planned to repay its dollar obligations on schedule, the negotiations for each such agreement drag on for essentially political reasons. MFN to Poland, restored in 1960, had been in jeopardy since 1962, making shaky at best the foundation for normal trade relations. He said the appeal, signed by the President on October 25, for contributions to Radio Free Europe was another incident that had aroused enormous indignation within his government.1 Finally, Mr. Winiewicz referred to press rumors of forthcoming travel restrictions for Polish diplomats in the US. This would surely provoke a strong negative reaction in Poland, since, other than for service attaches, no restrictions had ever been imposed on diplomats in Poland, not even during the cold war period, except for certain areas along the Polish-Soviet frontier. He urged that a distinction be made by the US for travel of diplomats, as opposed to attaches. The Poles are proud of their policy of unrestricted travel throughout their country and would hate to be forced to impose restrictions now.
The Secretary stressed the need to discuss US-Polish relations within the total political framework. The US knows, he said, that Poland’s world position is governed by some limitations over which it has no control. The US also knows that ideological differences between the two countries are not going to be eliminated by negotiation. On the other hand, there is a strong favorable sentiment for Poland within the US, where even the Polish-American community, though opposed to the present Polish regime, favors granting of MFN to Poland. As for PL 480, he said, a problem arises when Poland goes to other world markets to buy grain on commercial terms, while expecting the US to provide grain under the interest-free 40-year repayment terms of PL 480.
Asked what had gone wrong since the Secretary’s cordial talks with Foreign Minister Rapacki in Geneva in March 1962, the Secretary replied that if the Russians would agree to raise no questions as to the size and right of existence of Allied military forces in Berlin until a final German settlement is negotiated, it would render manageable all the other aspects of the problem. When Mr. Winiewicz indicated Polish worries over possible German acquisition of nuclear weapons, the Secretary assured [Page 179] him that it is in the very nature of nuclear weapons that those nations having them do not want others to have them. Hence, the US was opposed to their proliferation. The proposed multilateral force would not transfer nuclear weapons to any national government, nor permit any national government independently to determine when they would be employed. Mr. Winiewicz again thanked the Secretary for the meeting in taking his leave.