Message to President Franklin D. Roosevelt from Joseph Stalin

PRIVATE AND MESSAGE OF PREMIER JOSEPH V. STALIN TO PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D.ROOSEVELT. 29 april 1943 I received you answer, unfortunately, only on April 27, whereas the Soviet Government was obliged to take a decision for the severance of relations with the Polish Government on April 25. Since the Polish Government, throughout nearly two weeks, not only did not discontinue, but actually intensified, in its press and radio, a campaign which was hostile to the Soviet Union and advantageous only to Hitler, public opinion in the U.S.S.R. grew extremely indignant over this conduct and postponement of the decision of the Soviet Government became impossible. It is conceivable that Mr. Sikorski himself has no intention of cooperating with Hitler's gangsters. I should be only too glad if this supposition turned out to be correct. I do, however, consider that Mr.Sikorski allowed himself to be led by certain pro-Hitler elements, either within the Polish Government or in its entourage, and as a result the Polish Government, very possibly involuntarily, became a tool in Hitler's hands in the anti-Soviet campaign of which you are aware. I, too, believe that Premier Churchill will find a way to bring the Polish Government to reason and to help it in future to act according to the dictates of common sense. I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that one of our duties, as allies, consists in preventing any one ally from acting inimically, to the comfort and gratification of the common foe, again st any other ally. REGRADED UNCLASSIFIED