860C.51/6–2546
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs (Elbrick)
Mr. Sichel73 called at my request, and I informed him of the contents of the Department’s telegram no. 4934 of June 24 to London.74 This authorized the Embassy at London to inform the British Foreign Office that this Government considers it undesirable to impose any further conditions to the implementation of the surplus property and Export-Import Bank credits authorized by the exchange of notes on April 24, 1946. Mr. Sichel was informed that it appears that the Polish Government is desirous of fulfilling the obligations assumed at the time the credits were authorized, and particularly with reference to the one outstanding item regarding the furnishing of Poland’s economic agreements, and that this Government is therefore prepared to resume the deliveries of surplus property to Poland.
Mr. Sichel expressed the opinion that the British Foreign Office would be disappointed at this news, since it had hoped that the United States Government would withhold the credits until after the elections actually take place in Poland. He was informed that the Department is studying the Polish political situation with a view to taking such action as might be useful in bringing about such elections and that the British Government would be kept informed.
- Herbert M. Sichel, First Secretary of the British Embassy.↩
- Not printed (860C.51/6–2146); it was in reply to telegram 6181, June 21, from London, which reported that the British Foreign Office had again made clear its hope that the United States would not make credits to Poland operative again with the mere publication of commercial treaties but would continue as well to insist on free and fair elections.↩