174. Memorandum for the Record1
SUBJECT
- Meeting Between the President and Polish Ambassador Witold Trampczynski, Monday, October 10, 1972, 11:55 a.m., The Oval Office2
The meeting began in the Oval Office at 11:55 a.m., with the President greeting the Ambassador and inviting him to stand in front of the flags for photographs. The President said the timing of the [Page 421] Ambassadorʼs call was appropriate because Pulaski Day would be celebrated the next day. The Ambassador said it was also a big event in Poland and had already been observed there during the previous weekend. The President said this highlighted the role of Poles in our Revolution and history. During the picture-taking the President handed the Ambassador a movie of the Presidentʼs Polish visit, noting that it had been made by American cameramen. The Ambassador expressed his appreciation.
After the press had left the President began the private conversation by recalling the beautiful day he had spent with Mrs. Nixon in Warsaw. He said the palace in which he had stayed as the guest of the Polish Government had been lovely but above all it had been the talks that remained in his memory. They had been very good talks and the President had been most impressed with Mr. Gierek, the Prime Minister, and all the Polish leaders he had met. Mr. Gierek was a very strong man. And Mrs. Nixon had been very impressed with Mrs. Gierek. The President said that he had shaken hands with Gierek on a series of commitments for cooperation and he was pleased to see that these matters were being followed up and moving forward.
Trampczynski said there were three specific areas. The Science and Technology agreement was now completed and all that was needed was a formal signature. The President said Dr. David has kept him informed. Trampczynski then mentioned the bondholders negotiations in which he said the positions were very close. The talks had gone on for a month and he was hopeful they would be completed successfully because this would then open the way for ExIm facilities for Poland. The President said our talks with the Soviets had been going on for two years, so to be successful in one month was quite an accomplishment. The President said he had talked recently with Henry Kearns and we were looking into the ExIm question. The President said he wanted to be sure the Poles understood that we wanted to do as much with them as with the Soviets although what we did with the Soviets was of course very important, including for the Poles.
Trampczynski then said the third issue was the PL–480 debt rollover on which the Poles had one view and the US had another so that the talks that had been going on had just been adjourned.3 The President said that his commitment given to the Prime Minister stood. He well recalled the list of specific problems he had been shown in Warsaw on the last day and he has made sure that all the items would be followed up on. Of course in business questions there were always [Page 422] some technical problems that took time to take care of. But the Ambassador could be sure that we wanted to move ahead on all the items. Even when Dr. Kissinger was not in town, the White House kept a close eye on our relations with Poland. The Ambassador said he knew this since the White House had been very helpful.
The President said perhaps we should get more Polish ham. The Ambassador said the Poles were exporting some $50 million worth. The President said this was very important because of our domestic meat prices. The Ambassador said there was a problem right now concerning certain health specifications that had to be met; it would take about two months for the Poles to comply.
As the meeting ended at about 12:10 p.m., the President said our relations were in a new era and were very good. The Ambassador said they were the best they had ever been.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 699, Country Files—Europe, Poland, Vol. II 1972. Confidential. Drafted by Sonnenfeldt.↩
- On October 4 Bull proposed in a memorandum to Haldeman that the President meet with Ambassador Traampczynski on October 10 to present him with a copy of a 15minute documentary film shot during Nixonʼs visit to Poland. The purpose of such a meeting, Bull wrote, was “to show Presidential recognition of Polish-Americans by reminding them of his trip to Poland in the Spring.” Bull continued: “Wednesday, October 11, is Pulaski Day, but the President will not be engaged in any Polish-type activity. He will probably be at Camp David. In order to show recognition of Pulaski Day, it is being proposed that the President see the Polish Ambassador on Pulaski Day Eve.” Haldeman approved Bullʼs recommendation. (Ibid., White House Special Files, Confidential Files, Box 8, CO–121 Poland)↩
- The talks were deadlocked over U.S. insistence that Poland pay a 6 percent interest rate. See Document 173.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩