860C.00/6–1145: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to President Truman
091416Z. In my telegram of yesterday, number 080900Z,94 regarding Harry’s visit I failed to comment on the discussions with Stalin about the arrested Polish political leaders. Stalin took a very firm position that diversionist activities of Poles behind the Red Army was entirely a Soviet matter. It became clear that Stalin would not, as a matter of pride, and prestige, deviate from this point.
I feel Harry handled this question extremely shrewdly. He presented at several of the earlier meetings in no uncertain terms the importance of the matter and then at the last meeting put it up as a matter which, if dealt with generously by Stalin, would be of great value in the eventual solution of the Polish question. Stalin reacted favorably and I would frankly be surprised if he did not make some helpful gesture in this connection.
- For the telegram from the Ambassador in the Soviet Union to President Truman, dated June 8, 1945, giving a brief report on Mr. Hopkins’ mission to Moscow, see Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. i, p. 61.↩