Polish Files

Box 201

Folder 1 (78 documents) - July 1966 - Dec. 1968
Short: Contains documents on U.S.-Poland relations, the war in Vietnam, and internal Polish affairs.
Long: This folder contains a series of telegrams between Washington and the US Embassy in Poland from 1966 to 1968. Concerns include building relations with Poland and Eastern Europe, negotiating the terms of an economic agreement between the US and Poland, and tracking the movements of foreign ambassadors, particularly North Vietnamese Ambassador Do Phat Quang. It also contains telegrams from 1966-1968 reporting on various diplomatic affairs, Soviet troop movements, and internal Polish affairs.  Governor George W. Romney's visit to Poland is the topic of one telegram.  Another is about Red Cross procedures in Hainan and Hong Kong. There are also a variety of telegraphs from 1966-68 regarding diplomatic concerns over Vietnam, Soviet movement, and the Polish borders. There are several related to the Gronounski-Wang talks. There are also several about Colonel Metzger. 

Folder 2 (8 documents) Nov. 1966 - May 1968
Short: Contains documents on mediation for the war in Vietnam and ambassadorial correspondence. 
Long: Contains various telegrams sent from the US Embassy in Warsaw by United States Postmaster General John A. Gronouski concerning Presidential attendance at Bonn Conference, Jefferson-Jackson Day, Danish Ambassador Sandager Jeppesen's meeting with a North Vietnamese Ambassador and discussing the possibility for Danish mediation in the Vietnam War, a telegram report with nothing to report; a special intelligence information report regarding the “Narew” operations carried out in Poland June, 1956; and an intelligence information cable concerning Polish and North Vietnamese ambassadorial talks for a peaceful end to the Vietnam War. 

Folder 3 (24 documents) Sept. 1967 - May 1968
Short: Contains documents on internal Polish affairs, especially anti-semitism, the military, and potential instability. 
Long: This folder covers a variety topics, mainly regarding the Polish military and anti-semitism in Poland. Specific topics include: An internal plot to remove Polish Defense Minister and purge Jews from Party Central Committee; a special report on Poland’s shifting position in the Soviet Bloc; concerns about a potentially revolutionary situation in Poland, with tenuous similarities to the 1956 revolt; denial of visas to American citizens, especially journalists and those with Jewish-sounding names; Rumours of Soviet troop movements in Poland and potential Warsaw Pact action against Czechoslovakia, although there was scepticism that the Soviets would actually intervene; reports on rising anti-semitism in Poland and recommendations that U.S. accept Jewish refugees from Poland, with concerns about potential ramifications of doing so; and a special report on Polish training exercise with missile brigade. 

Folder 4 (28 documents) - Sept. 1966 - Dec. 1967
Short: Contains documents on mediating the war in Vietnam and financial topics. 
Long: This folder contains telegrams, memorandums, and intelligence notes regarding US-Polish relations, Polish dilemma on aid to North Vietnam (specifically maintaining credibility with the North Vietnamese while mediating between them and the U.S.), Polish Ambassador's View on Vietnam, the new Polish ambassador, suggested language, conversation with Polish officials, European security, Economic Commission for Europe, Polish Defection in New York, along with correspondence regarding a financial aid proposal, concessions, and changes to payment plans, among other documents.

Folder 5 (11 documents) - July 1966 - Sept. 1968
Short: Contains documents on anti-semitism in Poland and U.S. response, and Poland’s military relationship with North Vietnam. 
Long: This folder covers topics such as Nick Katzenbach’s recommendation that the President condemn anti-semitism in Poland, Jewish refugees from Poland, reports about Soviet troop movements in Poland, concerns that economic retaliation against Poland for government anti-semitism would damage U.S.-Poland relations and make situation worse for Jews in Poland, the reopening of a U.S. exhibit upon the removal of North Korean photographs, an appeal to the Polish government to persuade the North Korean government to allow captured Pueblo crewmen to receive mail. The folder also contains a lengthy (103 pages) translated report from eight “Polish Army specialists” on North Vietnam. The specialists’ primary missions were to assess the suitability of Polish equipment for service in Vietnam and to obtain samples of U.S. military equipment for the purpose of military research in Poland. 

Folder 6 (7 documents) - June 1968 - Sept. 1968
Short: Contains documents on anti-semitism in Poland and the fallout from the Warsaw Pact intervention in Czechoslovakia. 
Long: There is one diplomatic memorandum regarding a meeting between Polish Ambassador Jerzy Michalowski and Nathaniel Davis to discuss normalizing bilateral relations in the aftermath of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. Two documents are translations of articles from journals of the Polish security services dealing with missile defense, and two are translations of speeches by First Secretary Władysław Gomulka outlining an ideological direction after the invasion and Poland's  March Crisis of 1968.   Four of these documents, including a newspaper clipping requested by W.W. Rostow,  directly or indirectly discuss the antisemitic campaigns associated with this Crisis and subsequent power re-alignment involving General Mieczysław Moczar and First Secretary Gomułka.   

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