Memorandum from John D. Hickerson to Secretary of State Dean Acheson

1021 Office XXXXXX Duby May 18, 1949. To: The Secretary ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDa AND Through: s/s SERVICIP From: The Director for European Affairs Subject: Visit of Congressional Delegation to Present Their Views on Polish-German Frontier. Discussion: The delegation of Congressmen is coming in to present their views concerning the Polish-German frontier. The Congressmen have received reports that the Western boundary of Poland is to be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers and that the Western Powers, in order to gain German good will, may propose certain changes in the frontier in favor of Germany. The Congress- men's constituents, many of whom are Americans of Polish origin, have called these reports to the Congressmen's attention and have expressed the hope that the United States would take no action regarding this frontier at the expense of Poland. Recommendation: It is suggested that you may wish to reply to the dele- gation along the following line: Our position respecting this problem is fairly simple. The Polish-German frontier was provisionally fixed by the Potsdam Agreement which placed an area of eastern Germany under Polish administration pending the final determination of the border. Secretary Byrnes, in his speech at Stuttgart, Germany, in 1946, stated that we would support a revision of Germany's Eastern frontiers in favor of Poland but that the extent of the area to be ceded to Poland is for determination when the final settlement is agreed upon. This policy was reaffirmed and further clarified by Secretary Marshall during the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers at Moscow in the/