860C.01/6–145: Telegram
Mr. Harry L. Hopkins, Adviser to President Truman, to the President
010020. In our two previous conferences about Poland, Stalin made it clear that he was ready to talk business at once as to the names of the Poles both in London and with Poland proper who were not members of the Lublin Government that would be invited to Moscow to meet with the Polish Commission and consult about the organization of the temporary government for Poland.
At our meeting this evening60 I proposed informally to Stalin the following names: From London, Mikolajczyk, Grabsky and Stanczyk. From within Poland, Witos, Archbishop Sapieha, Zulawski, Kutrzeba and Trampczynski.
Stalin then indicated that he wanted three or four from the existing provisional government in Poland and under no circumstances more than four. I suggested that he name additional people either in London or within Poland who were not members of the provisional government. Stalin’s reply to that was that they wished to have only three people from London not in the existing government and only five people from Poland not in the existing government.
[Page 308]The names which we submitted are names which had been previously approved by the United States Government and the British. After submitting these names, Stalin submitted a counterproposal as follows: From London, first Mikolajczyk, second Grabski or Stanczyk, third Kolodzei. It should be borne in mind that we have reports Grabski is quite ill and might not be able to come under any circumstances. This means that we get two out of the three from London that we recommended. Stalin did not disguise the fact that Kolodzei although not connected with the Lublin government was a Communist sympathizer.
From within Poland Stalin suggested: first Archbishop Sapieha or Witos but not both. It seemed to us that he prefers Witos and there [are] considerable merits to this because of Witos’ healthy influence on Mikolajczyk. Second he agrees to Zulawski. Three he agrees to Kutrzeba. For the other two members he suggests Kolodzierski and Adam Krzyzanowski. Stalin stated that the last two suggestions were non-party members and not affiliated in any way with the provisional government. The Embassy at Moscow has info only in regard to Adam Krzyzanowski. That info is favorable (re Depts 613, March 16, 6 p.m.62) Regarding Kolodzierski we have no info other than the fact that Stalin said he was a Doctor of Economic Science, former Director of the Library of the Diet and present Chairman of the Cooperatives.
I believe that this is a satisfactory list and I urge that you approve it.63 If you do, then correct time is now. I think it extremely important that you press Churchill immediately for his approval and have Sehoenfeld see Mikolajczyk at once in order to get his agreement. In recommending this to you, I believe that this carries out the Yalta agreement in all its essential aspects. Harriman and the other officers of our Embassy concur.
I told Stalin tonight of the unfavorable reaction of American public opinion due to the arrest of the 14 [16?] Poles, making it clear to him that we had no interest whatsoever in General Okulicki. I told him further that we had no specific knowledge of our own about the merits of the arrests but that there was a widespread impression in America that these arrests were for political reasons. He indicated that the majority of those arrested were charged only with the operation of illegal radio transmitters which had been proscribed by the Red Army. He said that in view of the end of the war there was a good prospect of leniency for these.
[Page 309]Tomorrow night I am going to do everything I can to get Stalin to agree to an amnesty in the interest of the success of the negotiations for those Poles who are charged merely with the operation of illegal wireless transmitters. I do not know how he will react to this, but you can be sure that I will do the very best I can to get him to agree that such action on his part in regard to these prisoners would greatly facilitate the acceptance by the United States, Great Britain and Mikolajczyk of the proposed list of consultants.
I had intended to leave here Saturday afternoon, June 2, but before then, I hope. Therefore, you can cable me urgently whether you approve my proposed line of action. If you think it wise, I will of course remain here until you have had time to hear from Churchill and Mikolajczyk with regard to the group to be invited for consultation with the Moscow Commission. Both Harriman and I think it quite possible we are very close to an agreement and he, Harriman, believes I should remain until the matter is settled, assuming that it can be done in a few days.
I shall also try to telephone you at ten o’clock your time tomorrow, Friday morning, to find out whether you want me to remain here.