860C.002/12–545
The Polish Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The President received in audience Mr. S. Mikolajczyk, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, accompanied by Mr. J. Zoltowski, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Poland,11 on November 9, 1945.
[Page 429]In reply to the President’s questions as to the present economic and food situation in Poland, as to the progress of the work of reconstruction and as to Poland’s most urgent needs in connection with rehabilitation and reconstruction, Mr. Mikolajczyk pointed out that the most urgent requirements fall under several headings:
a) a deficit in grain, expected before the August 1946 harvest, will be felt more acutely in early summer;
b) livestock was terribly depleted by the German occupation: horses are reduced by two-thirds, milk-cows by 60%, hogs by 70%, sheep by 90%.
As the result thereof milk had become a luxury, fats and meat are almost totally lacking, fertilizers have to be imported in vast amounts.
Tractors are needed in large numbers before the next sowing season.
The President was glad to hear there would be no famine in Poland during the winter months, as he feared, and expressed his desire to help Poland both by supplying tractors and grain to cover the needs during the two months preceding the harvest.
The President stated he will bring the above to the attention of the Secretary of State with the view of action being taken and instructed the Polish Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to communicate with the Secretary of State on these matters.
Continuing, Mr. Mikolajczyk stressed the urgent need of a rapid rehabilitation of the transportation system: there is a most critical deficiency of locomotives and freight cars; trucks, road building and road repairing machinery, railroad and motor car repair shops etc. are also needed.
Next in importance is the rebuilding of Polish ports, through which pass the UNRRA shipments and in the future will pass the bulk of imports of reconstruction supplies and of exports from Poland, especially coal. For this purpose dredges, scoops, cranes, etc. are urgently needed.
Third in urgency is the speediest possible rebuilding of cities, especially of Warsaw, which is beyond question the world’s worst ruined capital. For this work rubble and debris removing machinery, bulldozers, steam-shovels, scoops etc. are urgently needed.
Fourthly, essential industrial equipment is required to enable the staple industries of the country to resume production on a scale sufficient to cover the domestic needs of the country.
Mr. Mikolajczyk added in conclusion that Poland was not expecting to receive all the supplies she needs as a gift, or in the form of relief, but that she was anxious to purchase them on credit extended by the [Page 430] United States Government, on terms she could meet so as to be able to discharge her contractual obligations.
The President expressed great interest in Mr. Mikolajczyk’s statement and declared that the United States will assist Poland as much as possible in her extremely difficult task of reconstruction, particularly by supplying on credit railroad rolling stock, motor trucks, tractors, harbor and road repairing machinery, and also equipment for clearing ruined cities and towns, especially “bulldozers”.
The President reiterated his intention to discuss the matter with the Secretary of State and to request him to arrange for the extending of credits to Poland, so as to enable her to obtain supplies she urgently needs.
In concluding the audience, the President again instructed the Polish Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to call on the Secretary of State for the purpose of discussing with him the problem of credits and of supplies.
- For the Department’s press release of September 11, 1945, announcing the appointment of Janusz Zoltowski as Chargé, which established official business relations in Washington with the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, see Department of State Bulletin, September 16, 1945, p. 400.↩