Office of the Historian

109. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State1

Warsaw, October 25, 1956—1 p.m.

527. For Under Secretary Hoover from Ambassador Jacobs. Embtel 526.2 Following is text (a’s and the’s omitted) which I shall read to Under Secretary Winiewicz at 3 p.m. this afternoon:

Begin verbal text:

1.
President Eisenhower in recent address3 said that US as nation has job and mission to do in helping freedom-loving peoples who need and want and can profitably use US aid so that they may advance in their ability for self-support and may add strength to security and peace of world.
2.
US authorities have noted statement which Mr. Wladyslaw Gomulka has made in recent addresses and, in particular, those relating to difficulties in Polish economic situation.4 In view of these statements, US Government has been studying question of how US might be of assistance. It would be glad to have, therefore, any views which Government of Poland may have on this subject, including perhaps possibility of US supplying certain commodities, such as wheat, which it has been supplying to various other European countries.
3.
US authorities do not wish to press this matter upon Government of Poland and approach is being made at this time only from point of view of desiring to be helpful if Polish Government is interested. US Government has no fixed ideas as to procedure in event Government of Poland desires to pursue matter further.
4.
Under Secretary of State, Herbert Hoover, Jr., has great personal interest in this matter in view of association of his illustrious father, Herbert Hoover, with previous difficult situations in Polish history,5 as well as his own great respect for Polish dedication to independence and freedom.

Jacobs
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.48/10–2556. Confidential; Niact; Limit Distribution.↩
  2. In telegram 526 from Warsaw, October 25, Jacobs indicated that he was going to see Winiewicz because Foreign Minister Adam Rapacki was unavailable. (Ibid.) Telegram 208 to Warsaw, October 24, instructed Jacobs to make such an approach. (Ibid., 611.48/10–2456)↩
  3. See Document 99.↩
  4. See Document 95.↩
  5. As Chairman of the Famine Emergency Committee, Herbert Hoover visited Poland in March 1946. Hoover also served as Food Administrator during World War I.↩