Polish Ambassador To The United States 1941-1945
"DEFEAT IN VICTORY"
/Statement of Jan Ciechanowski, Ambassador of Poland, on Leaving His Post as a Result of the Withdrawal of recognition of the Constitutional Polish Government by the United States Government./
As a result of the withdrawal of recognition of the Constitutional Polish Government by the Government of the United States, I am compelled to leave my post, and I do so with deep personal regret. Before leaving, however, I feel it my duty stress the tragic situation in which the Polish Nation now finds itself as a result of a world conflict which brought victory to Poland’s Allies, while to Poland, who was first to fight and so fully contributed to the common victory, it has brought defeat and loss of her independence.
The fate of Poland will be better understood when it is realized that even defeated Nazi Germany loses less of her territory trough this war, than Allied Poland has been forced to give up as a result of victory. Moreover, Poland has been left under the continued uncontrolled occupation of a foreign Power which is imposing upon her a government and a political, social, and economic system alien to her.
Poland’s record as a fighting member of the United Nations during this war is unassailable. Her initial armed resistance to German aggression in Poland in September 1939 gave to France and Britain the time necessary to prepare their defenses. Later, her army, navy, and air force fought in Norway, in France, in the battle of Britain, in Africa, in Italy, in Normandy, Belgium, Holland, and Germany, and her Underground Home Army performed miracles of sabotage, guerrilla, and open fighting against the Germans and substantially aided the Russian armies in their advance through Poland.
While the war lasted Poland’s war effort was appreciated by her Allies and declaration and encouragement were lavished upon the Polish Nation. Poland was called “the inspiration of nations” and was repeatedly promised independence and support after the war. These words of encouragement were accepted at their face value by the Polish people. They firmly believed in the sincerity of the words spoken to them on behalf of America whom they had always trusted and admired.
How can one explain to these indomitable fighters for freedom and democracy that after the United Nations victory, the principles in defense of which they fought would not be applied to them? How can one explain to the Polish Nation that their country is but a home on wheels to be pushed eastward or westward as may suit the imperialist aims of either of its mighty neighbors in defiance of the principle of self-determination of peoples for which they fought? Someday, answers to these questions will have to be found if justice is to survive.
Insidious propaganda has succeeded in making public opinion believe that the Polish people are always hostile to Russia. While this propaganda has been allowed to develop, the other side of the picture has been almost entirely suppressed. Public opinion still ignores the details of Russia's activities in Poland and of her treatment of the Poles during the war both in Poland and Russia. The fact that the Soviet Government has been steadfastly refusing to admit any Allied or neutral observers inside Poland is in itself ominous. As long as the war lasted, the Polish Government itself contributed to this regrettable blackout of true facts concerning Polish-Soviet relations for the sake of Allied unity so essential to the common victory. Moreover, it hoped that by avoiding Friction, it might more easily reach an understanding with Russia which it sincerely desired.
Public opinion too easily forgets all the attempts made by the Polish Government and people to reach an understanding with Soviet Russia on normal lines and within the framework of international law. It forgets that these efforts were invariably rejected by Russia who then placed the blame and responsibility for failure to reach agreement upon the Polish Government, regardless of whether it was the government of General Sikorski, Mr. Mikołajczyk, or Mr. Arciszewski. Each of these truly democratic governments was accused of being composed of "fascists", "collaborationists", and "reactionaries". At any during this war the problems requiring settlement between Poland and Soviet Russia could probably have been solved if Russia had admitted representatives of the legal Polish Government and Underground to sit down with her representatives and to tackle these problems in an atmosphere of mutual good will. But Russia preferred to present them-not as Soviet-Polish controversies, but as the quarrels of opposing factions of Poles between themselves.
Poland, represented by her legal Government, was never admitted to participate in discussions of Polish-Soviet relations. The conferences at Teheran and Yalta are examples in point. The decisions concerning Poland must therefore be regarded by the Polish Nations as verdicts "in absentia". No nation, no Government truly representative of its people, could ever accept decisions about their territory or system of government being taken without their participation.
The Polish people are deeply attached to their traditions of individual and national freedom. They will never cease to fight for these ideals. They will never sacrifice them as the price of agreement. They will never accept any system of government contrary to these principles and imposed upon them by any foreign power or group of Powers.
On June 29th Mr. Raczkiewicz, the constitutional President of the Polish Republic, issued from London an official Declaration to the Polish Nation, in the last paragraph of which he said :
. . . I remain at my post in accordance with both the provisions of the provisions of the Constitution now in force, and, I think, in accordance with the will of an immense majority of the Polish people. I am confident that this decision of mine will be understood throughout that world by all those who hold freedom, justice, and law in higher esteem and regard than brute force or temporary victory of violence. It will be the duty of citizens of the Polish Republic, so grievously suffering under so many blows, to see to it that the great traditions of our national culture should not be lost, that our links with our past should not be severed, that our ideals of freedom are not betrayed; it will be their duty to maintain their allegiance to the lawful authorities of the Polish Republic and not to weaken in their strivings for the restoration to the Polish Republic of its rights and for the place due to it among the free nations of the world. We are living through a period of great dangers and difficulties for our nation and our State, but I firmly believe that Almighty God will bless our efforts and will cause Poland to emerge from this new ordeal victorious, secure, and with her rights undiminished.
As Ambassador of Poland and personal Envoy of the President of Poland, on leaving my post of Ambassador to the United States, my conduct will be entirely guided by the directives given by the constitutional Head of the Polish State to all Polish people.