760C.61/2253: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant )

2715. The Polish Embassy just presented a note to the Department58 (indicating that a similar note has been presented to the British Government) giving detailed reports which the Polish Government states have been received from Poland indicating that when units of the Polish Government’s Underground Army disclosed itself to the advancing Red Army the Soviet authorities arrested the Polish soldiers and executed their officers. The note refers to the previous request (note of March 6)59 received from the Polish Government asking that the British and American Governments use their influence with the Soviet Government to prevent possible Soviet repressions and afford protection to members of the Polish Underground who disclose themselves to the Red Army authorities.

In view of this second request and the allegations made therein and in view of the fact that cooperation between the Polish Underground and the Red Army would have a direct and beneficial effect upon the prosecution of the war, please ascertain whether the British Government, on the basis of this second request by the Poles expects to reconsider [Page 1360] its position as outlined in your 2432, March 2560 and whether it considers it advisable and desirable to make a parallel British-American approach to the Soviet Government on this question.

Hull
  1. Note of March 31, 1944, delivered by the Polish Ambassador, Jan Ciechanowski, on April 1; not printed.
  2. Not printed, but see memorandum of March 16 by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs, p. 1357.
  3. Not printed; this telegram reported that the British Foreign Office considered that relations between the Polish Underground and the Red Army formed only one aspect of the whole Polish-Soviet problem, and that it was therefore not advisable to take it up alone for discussion. The British Government was not considering an answer to the Polish request (760C.61/2253).