Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The British Commonwealth and Europe, Volume III

860C.01/739: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, June 12, 1944—midnight.
[Received June 13—9:15 a.m.]

2107. For the President and the Secretary. The four delegates from the Polish National Council who are now visiting the Soviet Union called on me at the Embassy last night at their request. The group were intensely earnest, of simple background, and anxious to persuade me that their Council was representative of the Polish people. I am satisfied they are not Soviet agents and are anxious to get assistance and backing of ourselves and the British as well as the Soviet Government. The group consisted of Morawski, Vice President of the Council, a zealous Polish patriot and bitter critic of Sosnkowski, who served as principal spokesman for the group; Colonel Turski of the staff of the People’s Army, a professional soldier who said he was a Communist and gave the impression of being an opportunist; Hagecki, former director of a silk factory at Lodz who appeared to be the most balanced member of the delegation; and Hardy,⁷³ a university graduate who has been an active partisan leader for the past 4 years.

During a conversation lasting more than 3 hours the delegation gave me a mass of interesting information concerning present conditions in Poland and the objectives of the National Council. The highlights of their statements are:

1. More than 3 million Jews and 3 million Poles have perished during the German occupation. Perhaps 30,000 Jews remain in Poland, most of whom are underground.

2. The principal aim of the National Council is to carry on resistance against the Germans.

3. The delegates said that Sosnkowski’s underground numbered about 30,000 and was losing supporters. The National Council is strongly opposed to Sosnkowski and his supporters whom it accuses of having pursued a waiting policy in resistance and of opposing the active struggle of the Polish popular movement against the Germans. In so doing they have killed Soviet partisans and have collaborated with the German Gestapo.⁷⁴ The delegates gave examples of action by Sosnkowski’s forces in which members of the People’s Army had been treacherously killed. They stated that there was no future for the Sanacja Party⁷⁵ in Poland and alleged that Sosnkowski’s followers were saying that they were striving to build up a strong Poland to assist the United States and Britain in their future war against the Soviet Union.

4. The National Council views the former democratic members of the London Government such as Mikolajczyk, Kwapinski,⁷⁶ Stanczyk, Adamczyk and Koch⁷⁷ as misguided and out of touch with conditions in Poland and believes that they could be persuaded to cooperate with the Council if contact could be established. The delegates would like to get in touch with these members of the London Government anywhere, suggesting either here or in Washington.

5. The Council takes a realistic attitude toward the boundary dispute and believes that in view of the strength of the Soviet Union it can make a better deal by cooperation with the Soviets than by adopting an adamant position. It hopes to retain Lwow and the Galician oil fields and to expand Polish territory to the Baltic in the west. It also desires to retain Wilno⁷⁸ but fears that in view of its unfavorable geographical position there is little possibility of doing so.

6. The Council at present consists of some 60 members representing several parties of the left and center. It hopes to expand to several hundred and become a general Polish Parliament representative of all democratic elements fighting against the Germans. Its presidium consists of five members including representatives of the peasants, democratic, socialist and labor parties and General Rolla⁷⁹ in his capacity as commander of the People’s Army.

7. The Council has devoted little attention to post war plans. As territory is liberated it envisages the election of town, district and provincial committees to exercise authority pending the establishment of a central government. It is expected that at the appropriate time a representative parliament will be elected which will develop a constitution and a permanent government. The Council expects to give leadership during the formative period. The delegates placed great stress on the desire of the Council to avoid at all costs civil strife in Poland.

8. The Council believes that Polish post war policy can only be formulated by a parliament chosen in a free election. The delegates agreed that the Peasants’ Party would be the dominant element. It advocates the grant of land to the peasants and government control over the principal branches of economy, but favors private ownership. It recognizes however that the state must be prepared to operate many enterprises which were confiscated or established by the Nazis during the period of occupation.

9. Cordial relations and agreement have been established with the Union of Polish Patriots and General Berling’s army in the Soviet Union. The delegates asserted that there had been no previous contact between these organizations and the National Council.

10. The Council on January 1 addressed a message by radio to the Governments of the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States requesting that arms be supplied to the People’s Army to enable them to prosecute the struggle against the Germans.

Tommy guns, machine guns, anti-tank weapons, explosives and grenades are needed. The Council hopes to equip two hundred and fifty thousand men to go into action when the Russians cross the Bug. It desires financial assistance from the Allied powers to permit the acquisition of these arms. The delegates further suggest that an American military observer be sent to Poland to learn the facts first hand of the requirements and in order that the Allied Powers may determine whether the London Government or the National Council actually enjoys the support of the Polish people.

11. The delegates have been cordially received by Marshal Stalin and Molotov and have submitted a request for arms but have not as yet been given a definite reply. The delegates expressed their intention of remaining in Moscow until they received a favorable reply, and again stressed their hope for assistance also from the United States and Great Britain.

I informed the delegation that our conversation was entirely unofficial and requested that it be given no publicity, to which they agreed. I gave them no indication that I intended to report the conversation to you.

The Soviet Government appears to attach considerable weight to the reports brought by the delegates concerning the situation in Poland. The fact that they have extended an invitation to an American military observer to visit Poland to study the situation there appears to be an indication of their good faith.

Since it is likely that the delegation will approach me again before leaving Moscow I should appreciate any views or instructions which you may have concerning the attitude to be taken toward their request for military aid and for the despatch of an American observer to Poland. The Council that these men represent may well play an important role in the future of Poland, either because they do represent the feelings of the majority of the Poles or because of future support from the Soviet Government. They want our help now and I believe that serious consideration should be given to sending in a military observer if the Soviet Government agrees. If this is considered inadvisable, I recommend that we keep alive some contact with them.

Harriman

73. Kazimierz Hardy, member of the Peasants’ Party, contributor to the Wolna Polska of the Union of Polish Patriots, published in Moscow.
74. The secret political police.
75. The pre-war ruling party in Poland from about 1926, often called the party of the Colonels.
76. Jan Kwapinski, Polish socialist politician, Vice Premier in the Mikolajczyk Cabinet and Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Shipping.
77. Stanislaw Kot, member of the Peasants’ Party, former Ambassador to the Soviet Union, and Minister of Information in the Mikolajczyk Cabinet.
78. Vilna.
79. Col. Gen. Michal Rola-Zymierski, who became in July the Director of Defence in the Polish Committee of National Liberation.