860C.01/6–345: Telegram
President Truman to Mr. Harry L. Hopkins, Adviser to the President, at Moscow
283. I am very pleased with your continued and strenuous efforts reported in your messages of June 3 to induce Stalin to release at least some of the detained Polish political leaders before consultations begin. I feel that you should continue in the same vein in the hope that Stalin will agree to the release of the majority of these men. I fear that if Stalin does not make some concession to us on this point the otherwise favorable reaction, which will come when it is known that consultations are to begin, will be jeopardized in the eyes of a large part of American public opinion. I also fear that if the majority of these men are not released this question is liable to be one of the principal points of discussion during at least the initial stages of the consultations rather than the real point at issue—the creation of a new Polish Government of National Unity. If you feel it is advisable, I suggest that you also endeavor to meet Mikolajczyk’s suggestion that Stalin release some of the held Polish political leaders rather than grant them amnesty as he first suggested. As you know the Prime Minister has also suggested that an effort be made to meet Mikolajczyk’s suggestion on this point.
If, however, you feel that the possibility of initiating consultations may be jeopardized by insisting on the release of some of the political leaders, you may separate the question of the release of the prisoners from the question of the list of names of persons to be invited for the consultations. If your further efforts to obtain Stalin’s agreement to the release of these men are not immediately successful I hope you will continue to impress upon him the adverse effect this will have in the United States.
I also feel that it would be very helpful if you could obtain the inclusion of Popiel in the group from London. The inclusion of Popiel with Mikolajczyk and Stanczyk would mean that the most important Polish political parties would be represented and this would help to create favorable reaction among Polish circles abroad. I feel it would be advisable to eliminate Kolodzei if you can arrange it, but [Page 327] if it is necessary to include him in the group from London in order to get Popiel I do not believe we should object.
You are doing a grand job. I am repeating this message to Churchill and am expressing the hope that he will agree with my suggestions.