Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume I

Truman Papers: Telegram

No. 20
President Truman to Marshal Stalin ¹

top secret
priority

[Washington,] 19 May 1945.

Personal and top secret from the President for Marshal Stalin, Number 267.

I am sure you are as aware as I am of the difficulty of dealing by exchange of messages with the complicated and important questions with which we are faced. Pending the possibility of our meeting I am therefore sending Mr. Harry Hopkins with Ambassador Harriman to Moscow in order that they may have an opportunity of discussing personally with you these matters. Following these talks Mr. Hopkins will return immediately to Washington in order to report personally to me. They plan to arrive in Moscow about May 26. I would appreciate your letting me know if this time is convenient for you.

Truman

1. Sent to the United States Naval Attaché, Moscow, via Navy channels. Paraphrase incorporated into note No. 266 of May 20 from George F. Kennan, American Chargé d’Affaires in the Soviet Union, to Foreign Commissar Molotov for delivery to Stalin.