U.S. Cannot Act in Behalf of Polish Jews, State Department Holds, Voicing Sympathy

THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS EXPRESSED ITSELF UNABLE TO MAKE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE POLISH GOVERNMENT REGARDING THE CONDITION OF THE JEWS THERE BUT HAS EXPRESSED “A SYMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING” OF THE AMERICAN JEWS’ CONCERN WITH THE POLISH JEWS.

REPLYING TO AN APPEAL BY THE FEDERATION OF POLISH JEWS IN AMERICA, PIERREPONT MOFFAT, CHIEF OF THE DIVISION OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS, WROTE: “THE RECEIPT IS ACKNOWLEDGED OF YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 24, 1937, WITH WHICH YOU TRANSMIT A COPY OF A STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO THE AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND AT WASHINGTON BY YOUR FEDERATION, PROTESTING AGAINST CERTAIN ACTIONS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN COMMITTED AGAINST THE JEWISH POPULATION OF POLAND.

“ALTHOUGH UNDER THE ACCEPTED PRINCIPLES GOVERNING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THIS GOVERNMENT CANNOT MAKE REPRESENTATIONS TO A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT WITH REGARD TO MATTERS WHICH DO NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVE AMERICAN CITIZENS OR INTERESTS, I WISH TO ASSURE YOU THAT IT HAS A SYMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURAL CONCERN OF AMERICAN JEWS IN MATTERS AFFECTING THE JEWISH POPULATION OF POLAND.”