Memorandum from Secretary of State Edward Stettinius to President Harry S. Truman, Current Developments in Foreign Affairs

For SECRET DECLASSIFIED E.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, Aug. 10, 1972 MARS Doce 6-26-25 April 23, 1945 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT Subject: Current Developments in Foreimn Affairs FRENCH DELEGATE RE ORTS ON CONDITIONS IN POLAND. French Foreign Office has confirmed and expanded previous reports received concerning impressions gained by the French dele- gate to the Lublin Government. This man who was chosen partly because of his pro-Soviet attitude calls the poli- tical situation "appalling." He states that the "so-called* Warsaw Government has practically no support and that its authority would be non-existent if it were not maintained by the Red Army. He considers that Poland is already as Soviet as any of the sixteen Soviet republics and that unless something is done, Poland as a nation will cease to exist within a year. DETERMINATION OF VIENNA OCCUPATION ZONES. The Department has instructed its political representative who will be assigned in Austria that the Vienna discussions on occu- pation zones are expected to result in recommendations for consideration in the European Advisory Commission. Although the American Government is willing to make some concessions on its proposals on zones, it can under no circumstances forego the unrestricted use of adequate airfield facilities for our forces. BRITISH HOPE FOR AMERICAN LIBERATION OF PRAGUE. The Embassy at London has received from the British Foreign Office a note expressing Eden's considered view that it would be most desirable politically for Prague to be liberated by the United States Army. The note cites the obvious advantage of a Western Allied contribution to the libera- tion of Czechoalovakia in addition to the fact that the the establishment of our missions in that country would be facilitated. PETAIN