[Enclosure]
The Polish Ambassador (Ciechanowski) to
the Director of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation
Administration (Lehman)
245/I/SE–t/88
[Washington,] April 7, 1945.
Sir: On March 23rd, the daily press published
two press releases issued by the UNRRA, announcing: (1) the resignation
of Mr. John P. Gregg as head of the mission of UNRRA experts designated
in October, 1944 to carry on UNRRA relief in Poland, (2) the appointment
by yourself of Mr. M. Menshikov, a Deputy Director of UNRRA, to head a
mission designated to go to Poland for the purpose of negotiating an
agreement for relief and rehabilitation in that country with the local
Soviet sponsored authority, acting there at present.
These UNRRA press releases also contained the information that all
matters relating to relief for Poland would henceforth be exclusively
discussed and settled by UNRRA with representatives of the so-called
provisional government at present acting in Poland and that UNRRA
officials would no longer maintain any contact with the Polish
Government.
On March 26th I called on you personally to ask you kindly to explain
your decisions about which the Polish Government had not been directly
informed. In our conversation you confirmed the above press statements.
You explained that you had taken the decision to discontinue contact
with the representatives of the Polish Government in all matters
relating to Polish relief for “practical reasons” and that, for the same
reasons you thought fit henceforth to deal in all matters of Polish
relief exclusively with the so-called “provisional government in
Poland.”
[Page 976]
I beg to confirm what I then told you, that I consider this decision as
an unilateral action, devoid of legal foundation, and, as such, one
which the Polish Government cannot agree to take into consideration.
Moreover, this decision appears to me to be harmful, inasmuch as it
introduces an element of political expediency contrary to the spirit of
UNRRA and entirely unrelated to the nature of relief work for which it
was organized.
I take this opportunity of reminding you, Mr. Director General, that,
from the outset, the Polish Government gave you every proof that it was
solely concerned in cooperating with you in order to assure the
speediest and most effective functioning of UNRRA relief in Poland. The
Polish Government actively and effectively collaborated in every way to
assist you in all the phases of relief planning and urged you repeatedly
to speed the dispatch of a mission and of food and other supplies to
Poland. The Polish Government made it perfectly clear in numerous
conversations and in writing, that it raised no objections to any
contact and coordination of the UNRRA mission in the course of its work
in Poland with any local authorities and organizations within the limits
prescribed by Resolutions of the Council of UNRRA.
I am compelled to remind you that the Polish Government is one of the
Founder-Member-Governments of UNRRA and, as such, on the basis of Art. 2
of the Agreement signed in Washington on November 9th, 1943,60 it is
entitled to all the rights enjoyed by Member-Governments and cannot
admit that the Executive Authority of UNRRA should sever relations with
its representatives by unilateral decision of the Director General,
whose statutory functions do not entitle him to take such a decision. In
accordance with Article III of the Agreement, even the Central Committee
of UNRRA,—one of its highest authorities—“shall invite the participation
of the Representative of any Member-Government at those of its meetings
at which action of special interest to such Government is discussed.” No
subject can more closely concern the Polish Government than the problem
of relief for Poland in all its aspects, and consequently, no decision
of the Director General can deprive the Polish Government of its right
to maintain contact and to collaborate in these matters with the
Executive Authorities of UNRRA. Nor can any circumstances be invoked
which could authorize the Director General or any other Officials of
UNRRA to refuse to maintain such contact, allegedly “for practical
reasons”.
[Page 977]
Consequently, I am compelled to express the opinion that the decision
taken by you exceeds the limits of your competence under UNRRA
Statutes.
The Polish Government reserves all its rights, as a Member Government of
UNRRA, in relation to the unilateral decision taken by you without
previous consultation with the Executive Committee and without
consulting the Polish Government, directly interested.
I am [etc.]
