840.4016/9–2145: Telegram
The Ambassador in Poland (Lane) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 7:10 p.m.]
272. During my absence6 Keith7 took up with Acting Foreign Minister suspension of expulsion of Germans as authorized Department’s [Page 1279] 103 September 14, 8 p.m.8 This was reported in telegram to Paris for repetition to Berlin as No. 53.9
This matter was discussed by me with Murphy in Berlin September 18. I agree with Murphy that any unnecessary harshness towards Germans by Poles is to be regretted. There is unfortunately, however, a tendency of government controlled press to blame British and ourselves for pro-German attitude. I fear that any representations which British and United States may make independently of Russians will be played up as indication of Fascist leanings. If, however, Soviet Government can be induced to adopt a similar attitude as agreed upon at Potsdam which we would do our best to publicize, there would be naturally no objection. Mikolajczyk10 informed me September 20 that report now being circulated that British and we are more concerned in return of Germans to Germany than in return of Poles to Poland.
Sent Department as 272; repeated Berlin for Murphy as 66; repeated London for information of Secretary of State as 37.
- Ambassador Lane was absent from Warsaw from September 12 to September 18.↩
- Gerald Keith, Counselor of Embassy.↩
- Not printed.↩
- See last paragraph of telegram 257, September 15, 1 p.m. from Warsaw, p. 1276.↩
- Stanislaw Mikołajczyk, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity.↩