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

860C.00/6–445: Telegram

Mr. Harry L. Hopkins, Adviser to President Truman, to the President

[Moscow,] 3 June 1945.

031900. We have seen a copy of Schoenfeld’s cable to the Department⁷⁴ commenting on his interview with Mikolajczyk. The British Ambassador has received and shown us a copy of the Prime Minister’s number 67 to you. Harriman and I hope you will agree that the matter relating to the list of names to consult with the Moscow Commission be not conditioned upon the release of the Polish leaders. We also hope that you can induce Churchill to make the same decision.

We shall, of course, continue to press vigorously for release of the Poles, but we think it would be a mistake to make this a condition to agreement on the list of names and the starting of the consultation in Moscow promptly.⁷⁵

In the light of what Stalin told me Friday night that he would be willing to give further consideration to a name other than the Communist sympathizer Kolodzei from London, I shall endeavor to get him to substitute Popiel whose name has already been agreed upon by both the United States and British Governments. Or if this fails to try to get Kolodzei’s name dropped entirely. While this would mean there would be only two from London the elimination of Kolodzei would undoubtedly save a lot of headaches. I can give you no assurance that either of these can be done but I intend to try.

The important things now are: (1) That we get British approval of the whole list including Kolodzei so that we can close on that basis if necessary, and (2) agreement to separate the release of the prisoners from the list of names.

I simply do not know what Stalin is going to do about these prisoners but I think we have made some impression on him. In case Churchill advises you that the above course of action is satisfactory to him, then I shall close the matter of the list at once and in so doing shall make perfectly clear to Stalin that the future negotiations will be made more difficult if the matter of the release of the prisoners is not settled satisfactorily.

74. Telegram Poles 62, June 2, 6 p.m., from London, p. 316.
75. Mr. Hopkins repeated the view expressed in this paragraph in his message to Prime Minister Churchill, dated June 3; see Churchill, Triumph and Tragedy, p. 583.