Moscow Embassy Files, Lot 53: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Harriman ) to the Secretary of State

3045. For the President and Secretary. ReEmbs 3028, August 17, 4 p.m.92 The British Ambassador has received a telegram from his Foreign Office bringing to his attention the fact that for some time the Soviet radio has been urging the Poles to throw caution aside and rise against the Germans. In particular, according to this message, on July 29, 3 days before outbreak of the Warsaw uprising, Moscow broadcast an appeal from the Union of Polish Patriots93 to the people of Warsaw calling upon them to join battle with the Germans for decisive action. The hour of action, the broadcast stated, had already arrived for Warsaw. The Germans were planning to bring about the destruction of the city. Whatever could not be saved by direct effort would be lost. Liberation would be hastened and Polish lives saved by direct active struggle in the streets and in the houses.

Harriman
  1. Not printed; Ambassador Harriman recommended that President Roosevelt should “send immediately a strong message to Stalin and instruct me to deliver it personally”, together with guidance for oral explanation to make certain that Stalin understood the President’s views. Harriman further said that “Stalin should be made to understand that American public belief in the chances of success of world security organization and postwar cooperation would be deeply shaken if the Soviet Government continues such a policy” of refusing itself to assist the Poles fighting in Warsaw and preventing others from making efforts to assist them.
  2. This organization of Poles sympathetic to Communism, successor to an earlier “Committee of Polish Patriots”, held its first Congress in Moscow on June 8, 1943, and exchanged letters with Stalin.