Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume V

860C.00/6–445: Telegram

The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Truman ⁶⁹

[London,] 2 June 1945.

67. Your Number 53.

1. Harry Hopkins has made very remarkable progress at Moscow and I am entirely in sympathy with what he has already achieved.

2. Mikolajczyk has sent you his comments on the list and he has also given them to us. Cannot these points be cleared up by Harry, if his health can stand it before he leaves? The word “amnesty” should be interpreted as including “release.”⁷⁰ I am having the matter examined in more detail by the Foreign Office, and am quite ready to put additional pressure on Mikolajczyk if he makes needless difficulties. Indeed you can count upon me to support you in the very considerable forward movement you have initiated.

3. As Anthony Eden is now laid up for a few weeks and cannot do any official work, the burden falls on me at a rather rough moment. I may telegraph to you tomorrow the more detailed views of the Foreign Office.

69. Transmitted to the Secretary of State under cover of a memorandum by Adm. William D. Leahy, dated June 4, not printed.
70. In his telegram to Prime Minister Churchill, dated June 6, Mr. Hopkins said in part: “I want you to know that I have not the vaguest notion what the word amnesty means and I hope the British cabinet did not spend too much time debating this one. The only thing I ever said to Stalin was to let those poor Poles out of the jug. If you should find out what the technical definition of amnesty is won’t you please let me know.” (740.00119(Potsdam) 6–645) For complete text of this message, see Churchill, Triumph and Tragedy, p. 583.