[…] My chief work was concerned with the creation of a special center in the Underground, the office of the ‘plenipotentiary of the government.’ The creation of this office was contingent upon the acceptance of two basic principles: first, that no matter what course the war might take, the Poles would never agree to collaborate in any way with the Germans. Quislings were to be eliminated at all costs.The second principle was that the Polish state was to be perpetuated by the underground administration which would be synchronized with the government-in-exile.

The so-called 'stiff attitude toward the occupants' simplified the problem of obtaining the consent of the people to the authority of the underground state. The German occupation was never recognized by the Polish people, and there could be no doubt on this score because, in Poland alone of all the occupied countries, there never appeared anything remotely resembling a legal or pseudo-legal body composed of Poles and collaborating with the Germans. Indeed, in all Poland, not a single political office in the German controlled administration was ever held by a Pole; not a single head of any province was Polish.

[...] When the Underground attained the peak of its development, the problem of collaboration was defined in precise terms as, in ordinary circumstances, a civil crime would be defined, and punishment was meted out in accordance with the ability of the Underground to carry out the sentences entailed.

According to the tradition handed down from the Polish insurrections against Tsarist Russia in 1830 and 1863, the place of the government should have been directly within the underground movement. It was realized, however, that such a government would have to be secret and anonymous. Consequently, Poland would have no contact with her Allies and no method of pursuing a foreign policy. If this government were liquidated, moreover, it would be impossible to appoint a new government. Chaos would result. The final factor that determined the decision that the government should remain in exile for the duration was the realization that the Underground required a method for maintaining the technical continuity of the organization. [...]

Steps had to be taken to reassure each party in the Underground that the administration created in the Underground would not be inimical to its interests and principles. [...]

Urgent stress was placed on the responsibility of these officers to all the political parties that were to constitute an underground parliament and control the personnel and budget of the administrative branch.