740.0011 European War 1939/15071
The Polish Embassy to the Department of State
Pro Memoria
The Polish Government has informed Ambassador Biddle of their views regarding the Joint Declaration of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill and of their representations made to the British Government in this matter to the effect that:
- a)
- point 2 of the Declaration is causing depression in Poland in view of the policy of ruthless extermination and mass transfers of populations, applied to Poland by Germany;
- b)
- the Polish Government are apprehensive that the wording of the Joint Declaration as regards the security of the post-war world does [Page 378] not appear to take into account strategic and economic factors of security. The Polish Government regard these factors as fundamental and essential, regardless of the degree in which the future status of European peace will be improved in comparison to the Versailles settlement;
- c)
- likewise the necessity for compensating damages willfully inflicted and of obtaining just reparations which would, at last partly, equalize Poland’s economic possibilities with that of her neighbors seems to be entirely left out.
Poland hopes that the British and U. S. Governments will consult with one another in this matter and that the points referred to will receive satisfactory interpretation in order to clarify this situation.
[At the Inter-Allied Meeting held in London on September 24, 1941, the following resolution was unanimously adopted:
“The Governments of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and Yugoslavia, and representatives of General de Gaulle, leader of Free Frenchmen, having taken note of the declaration recently drawn up by the President of the United States and by the Prime Minister (Mr. Churchill) on behalf of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, now make known their adherence to the common principles of policy set forth in that declaration and their intention to cooperate to the best of their ability in giving effect to them.”
See British Cmd. 6315, Misc. No. 3 (1941): Inter-Allied Meeting Held in London at St. Jameses Palace on September 24, 1941, Report of Proceedings; and Department of State Bulletin, September 27, 1941, pages 233–235.]