175. Editorial Note
In the fall of 1972, the Governments of the United States and Poland concluded a series of agreements based in part on the discussions between President Richard Nixon and First Secretary Edward Gierek in Warsaw on June 1 and the resulting National Security Decision Memorandum 173 (Document 170).
On October 31 Secretary of State William Rogers and Presidential Science Adviser Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., signed an “Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Polish Peopleʼs Republic on Cooperation in Science and Technology.” The agreement was initialed simultaneously in Warsaw by the Polish Minister for Science, Higher Education and Technology, Jan Kaczmarek. See Department of State Bulletin, November 27, 1972, page 642. For the text of the agreement, see 24 UST 7565. On June 19 Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger, citing “the communiqué issued at the conclusion of the Presidentʼs visit to Poland,” had requested recommendations for such an agreement from the NSC Under Secretaries Committee. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 699, Country Files—Europe, Poland, Vol. II 1972) The response of the Under Secretaries Committee, [Page 423] NSC–U/SM 117A, June 26, is ibid., NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–264, U/SM 115–119, U/SM 117A.
From November 4–8 the Joint American-Polish Trade Commission, established pursuant to the Warsaw communiqué of June 1, met in Washington. Secretary of Commerce Peter G. Peterson led the U.S. delegation; Minister of Foreign Trade Tadeusz Olechowski headed the Polish side. During the talks, Olechowski affirmed that Poland had reached an interim agreement with the Foreign Bondholders Protective Council, Inc., regarding compensation for U.S. dollar bonds issued by the Polish Government before World War II. In response, Nixon signed a Presidential Determination granting Poland access to Export-Import Bank credit facilities on November 8. The Presidential Determination, attached to a memorandum from Rogers to the President, October 19, is ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, FN 6–1 POL. At the November meeting, the two sides also agreed in principle that of Polandʼs existing P.L.–480 debts, only the installments due in 1973 and 1974 would be deferred for a period of 4 years, and interest on the deferred amount would accrue at the rate of 6 percent per annum. During the discussions, the Polish negotiators presented a draft agreement on economic, industrial, and technological cooperation, to which the United States agreed to respond. The unpublished minutes from the talks are in telegram 204074 to Warsaw, November 9. (Ibid., FT 3 POL–US)
The Chargé in Warsaw, Boster, reported on the ensuing mood in Warsaw on November 18 in telegram 5235. “It will scarcely come as a surprise to Department,” he wrote, “but perhaps we should report that atmosphere in our contacts with Polish officialdom, increasily cordial over past several months, seems at a new high following Foreign Trade Minister Olechowskiʼs return last week…. Underlying this warmth is evident recognition that we have now been making good on promises, explicit or implicit, in Presidentʼs visit last summer and belief that our cooperative attitude will continue. Polish officials we have talked to have been unanimous in expressing pleasure at agreements reached or projected in Washington… Almost all sections of Embassy have commented this week that Polish doors seem a little wider open for them and, although we have never had particular problem in attracting Polish guests to our homes, we have had unusually good and friendly turnouts… at recent receptions.” (Ibid., POL POL–US)
On November 15 Polish Ambassador Witold Trampczynski delivered to the Department of State a letter from Gierek to President Nixon. The November 8 letter congratulated Nixon on his reelection. In a December 1 covering memorandum Kissinger told President Nixon: “The letter is unique in several respects. Never before has the head of the Polish Party sent a United States President a congratulatory message [Page 424] of this sort. The letter also goes beyond the pleasantries usual on such occasions to mention (although in standard terms) several political matters, US-Polish relations, the Conference on European Security, and Vietnam. Moreover the letter is very warm in tone.” Kissinger joined the Department of State in recommending that the President respond. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 699, Country Files—Europe, Poland, Vol. II 1972)
On December 4 Nixon signed a letter to Gierek thanking him for his “cordial and thoughtful letter.” “It is satisfying to know,” he wrote, “that the talks which I had with you and your colleagues have been followed by some very concrete and useful steps in our bilateral relations…. We anticipate that Poland will play a helpful role in preparing for the current projects for promoting cooperation in Europe…. As you will recall from our talks last spring, there is no cause to which I am more dedicated than ending the war in Vietnam. It now appears we are close to that goal. We look to your cooperation and assistance in the demanding task of keeping the peace in that area once the cease-fire has been established.” (Ibid.)