860C.00/3–2349

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Director, Office of European Affairs ( Thompson )

confidential
  • Participants: Mr. Jan Wszelaki, Agent in Washington of the London Polish Government
  • EUR—Mr. Thompson
  • S/P—Mr. Joyce1
  • EE—Mr. Salter2

Reference is made to the memorandum dated March 23, 1949,3 reporting a conversation Mr. Wszelaki had with Mr. Salter on the subject of the Polish political emigrés. During that conversation, it will be recalled, Mr. Wszelaki asked Mr. Salter whether an appointment could be arranged for him with Mr. Joyce and me. Arrangements were made for a meeting with Mr. Wszelaki at the Department this afternoon.

Mr. Wszelaki opened the conversation by stating that he was planning [Page 283] to visit London soon for talks with President Zaleski and other Poles in Great Britain about recent political developments among the Polish emigrés, and he wanted to know what information or views the Department had about these developments which he might use in his London conversations. Wszelaki summarized the recent activity among the exiled Polish political leaders in much the same way he had done in his earlier conversation with Mr. Salter (reported in aforementioned Memorandum of March 23).

In reply, I commented along the following lines:

Our ultimate objective, with which it was felt all elements of the Polish political emigration was in agreement, was the liberation of Poland and the restoration of her independence. No one knew how long this would take. It might come next year or it might require five to ten years, or even longer. In the meantime, however, it was our aim to enable the Polish people, by whatever means possible, to retain their present hope of eventual deliverance from foreign domination. If, perchance, the liberation of Poland could not be achieved for some years to come, it was very important for the maintenance of this hope and Polish morale generally that we continue to demonstrate to the Polish people our abiding interest in, and sympathy for, them. It would be undesirable for a feeling of despair and apathy to develop among the population. The American Government, therefore, was in favor of action and policies designed to aid the achievement of this very broad objective.

We are aware of the existing differences and disunity among the exiled Polish political leaders. In our view, this was unfortunate and unhelpful and, consequently, we looked with favor upon the reported efforts of the Polish leaders to get together, not however as a Government-in-exile but rather as a Committee, Council or organization of some kind, which would be as broadly based and all-inclusive as possible. Such a unification of the Polish emigrés would, it was felt, have a beneficial effect inside Poland and would be consistent with current plans and policies of the United States.

It had to be emphasized, in connection with these Polish unification efforts, that the United States could not recognize any Polish Government-in-exile or any organization or group aspiring to become an exile Government. The United States had recognized the Warsaw Government and this imposed certain duties and responsibilities, which obviously excluded formal and official relations with any other Polish political group. The devotion of a large part of the Polish emigrés to the principle of the “legal continuity” of the London regime was appreciated but our position respecting a Polish Government-in-exile represented a settled policy which we were certain Mr. Wszelaki understood.

The unofficial American Committee now being organized for the purpose of working with exiled political groups in the United States4 would undoubtedly welcome an association with representatives of a united Polish body. It was realized, of course, that account would have [Page 284] to be taken of the fact that at the present time the majority of the Polish emigrés are in Europe. How the association of the unified Polish organization (when formed) with the American Committee would be worked out was an important detail that could be settled between the American Committee and the Polish group.

Mr. Joyce stated he thought it was a good plan for Mr. Wszelaki to go to London for talks with Polish leaders there but inquired whether it might not be preferable to postpone the trip until early May, by which time news of the formation of the American Committee would be public information. Wszelaki said he felt it would be better to proceed as he had originally planned (about Easter time).

In conclusion, Wszelaki said he was grateful for the opportunity to exchange views with the Department’s officers. He could not say what, if any, kind of unified organization of Polish emigrés would result from the meetings now scheduled to be held in London in May, but he thought the chances of success were fairly good. Nothing, in his opinion, should be done about arranging Polish affiliation with the American Committee between now and the time the results of the London talks are known.5

Llewellyn E. Thompson
  1. Robert P. Joyce, member of the Policy Planning Staff, Department of State.
  2. Fred K. Salter, Assistant Chief, Division of Eastern European Affairs.
  3. Not printed. During the conversation Wszelaki reviewed recent efforts to unify Polish exile factions (860C.00/3–2349).
  4. The reference here is to the National Committee for a Free Europe whose formation was announced on June 1; see the circular airgram of June 21, p. 289.
  5. In a memorandum of May 3, not printed, Salter reviewed Deputy Director Thompson’s recent conversations with Polish exile political leaders: on March 16 with Dr. Tadeusz Bielecki, Chairman of the Polish National Democratic Party; on March 30 with Wszelaki; on May 2 with Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, leader of the Polish Peasant Party; on May 3 with Bielecki again. In his other conversations, Thompson outlined the position of the Department of State with respect to Polish emigré unity along the same lines followed here (860C.00/5–349). Thompson also summarized this position for Lord Jellicoe, Second Secretary of the British Embassy in the United States, during a conversation on May 5. Jellicoe observed that the British Government very strongly opposed the recognition of any kind of Polish government-in-exile and sought to discourage political activity on the part of exiled leaders (860C.00/5–549).