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J. 333305MONO-State
Galley 223
UNCORRECTED GALLEY PROOF
reach a solution to the problem since the United States Government
has not clearly defined its attitude. Since I have seen only the early
newspaper reports I have declined to comment on the statement.
You will recall that on November 15 [17] you sent by Ambassador
Harriman a letter to Mikolajczyk outlining our policy in regard to
Poland.² This letter was shown to Mr. Churchill before Ambassador
2 Ante, pp:
Harriman showed this letter to Churchill and Eden on the
evening of November 21 in London and delivered it to Mikolajczyk the following
morning (Roosevelt Papers, telegram from Harriman to Roosevelt, November 22,
1944).
Harriman delivered it to Mikolajczyk. The following is a summary
of the United States position on the Polish question laid down in that
letter:
1. We stand unequivocally for a strong, free and independent
Poland with the untrammeled right of the Polish people to order
their internal existence as they see fit.
2. Regarding the future frontiers of Poland, this Government would
offer no objection if a mutual agreement on this subject including
proposed compensation for Poland from Germany was reached
between the Polish, Soviet and British Governments. As regards a
United States guarantee of any specific frontier, it was stated that this
Government, in accordance with its traditional policy, did not give
guarantees for any specific frontier. But it was pointed out that the
United States Government is working for the establishment of a world
security organization through which we with other members of the
United Nations will assume responsibility for general security which
of course includes the inviolability of agreed frontiers.
3. If the Polish Government and the people desire in connection
with the new frontiers to bring about a transfer to and from the
territory of Poland of national minorities the United States Govern-
ment will raise no objection and as far as practicable will facilitate
such transfer.
4. It was indicated that we were prepared, subject to legislative
authority, to assist in so far as practicable in the postwar economic
reconstruction of Poland.
I am sending a full summary of these four points so that you will
have them before you, since you will undoubtedly be questioned at
your first press conference on your return. I hope to talk over with
you the possible necessity of some public statement making clear our
position along the lines of the four points.
It is not clear from the reports we have so far received on Church-
ill's statement whether he is endeavoring to force a change in the
present Polish cabinet and bring Mikolajczyk back or whether he
may plan to follow a Soviet lead and recognize the Lublin Com-
mittee as the government of Poland. In this connection there are
definite indications that the Lublin Committee is planning to declare
itself as the provisional government of Poland, and other indications
point to the probability that it will be recognized as such by Stalin,
possibly at an early date.
In view of the uncertainty as to Churchill's plans, it is suggested
you might care to send the attached telegram 3 to him.
3 Infra, telegram as sent.
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"ocrText": "J. 333305MONO-State\nGalley 223\nUNCORRECTED GALLEY PROOF\nreach a solution to the problem since the United States Government\nhas not clearly defined its attitude. Since I have seen only the early\nnewspaper reports I have declined to comment on the statement.\nYou will recall that on November 15 [17] you sent by Ambassador\nHarriman a letter to Mikolajczyk outlining our policy in regard to\nPoland.² This letter was shown to Mr. Churchill before Ambassador\n2 Ante, pp:\nHarriman showed this letter to Churchill and Eden on the\nevening of November 21 in London and delivered it to Mikolajczyk the following\nmorning (Roosevelt Papers, telegram from Harriman to Roosevelt, November 22,\n1944).\nHarriman delivered it to Mikolajczyk. The following is a summary\nof the United States position on the Polish question laid down in that\nletter:\n1. We stand unequivocally for a strong, free and independent\nPoland with the untrammeled right of the Polish people to order\ntheir internal existence as they see fit.\n2. Regarding the future frontiers of Poland, this Government would\noffer no objection if a mutual agreement on this subject including\nproposed compensation for Poland from Germany was reached\nbetween the Polish, Soviet and British Governments. As regards a\nUnited States guarantee of any specific frontier, it was stated that this\nGovernment, in accordance with its traditional policy, did not give\nguarantees for any specific frontier. But it was pointed out that the\nUnited States Government is working for the establishment of a world\nsecurity organization through which we with other members of the\nUnited Nations will assume responsibility for general security which\nof course includes the inviolability of agreed frontiers.\n3. If the Polish Government and the people desire in connection\nwith the new frontiers to bring about a transfer to and from the\nterritory of Poland of national minorities the United States Govern-\nment will raise no objection and as far as practicable will facilitate\nsuch transfer.\n4. It was indicated that we were prepared, subject to legislative\nauthority, to assist in so far as practicable in the postwar economic\nreconstruction of Poland.\nI am sending a full summary of these four points so that you will\nhave them before you, since you will undoubtedly be questioned at\nyour first press conference on your return. I hope to talk over with\nyou the possible necessity of some public statement making clear our\nposition along the lines of the four points.\nIt is not clear from the reports we have so far received on Church-\nill's statement whether he is endeavoring to force a change in the\npresent Polish cabinet and bring Mikolajczyk back or whether he\nmay plan to follow a Soviet lead and recognize the Lublin Com-\nmittee as the government of Poland. In this connection there are\ndefinite indications that the Lublin Committee is planning to declare\nitself as the provisional government of Poland, and other indications\npoint to the probability that it will be recognized as such by Stalin,\npossibly at an early date.\nIn view of the uncertainty as to Churchill's plans, it is suggested\nyou might care to send the attached telegram 3 to him.\n3 Infra, telegram as sent."
}