Memorandum re Possible Sources of Information Contained in Drew Pearson's Column of June 12, 1945, Relating to the Hopkins-Stalin Conferences
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OCR Page 1 of 9August 17, 1945
MEMORANDUM
Re: Possible Sources of Information
contained in Drew Pearson's column
of June 12, 1945, relating to the
Hopkins-Stalin Conferences
Much of the information set forth in this memorandum was obtained
from highly confidential sources and for this reason the information set
forth hereinafter should be treated as strictly confidential and for the
information only of the President and his Naval Aide.
SYNOPSIS:
Inquiry reveals that copies or paraphrases of the messages sent by
Mr. Hopkins to the President were distributed to the State Department in
Washington, D. C., to the State Department representatives of the United
Nations Conference in San Francisco, to the American Embassy in London, to
the Polish Government in exile in London, and to the British Embassy in
Washington, with the possibility that the information contained in the
messages was furnished by the Russian Government to its Embassy in Washington,
which in turn possibly furnished the information to Russian representatives
at the United Nations Conference. The original text or some paraphrased
form of the messages was reproduced at least 140 times or known to have
been seen by at least 75 persons prior to the publication of the Pearson
article, and in addition, at least 200 other persons had access to the
copies of the messages. A substantial number of the copies of the messages
or paraphrases could not be accounted for due to the wide distribution and
dissemination of the information, and it is consequently impossible to
identify all persons who had intimate knowledge of the contents of the
Hopkins' messages. It is, therefore, impossible to definitely fix respon-
sibility as to the actual source of Pearson's information, although the
investigation suggests several possibilities which are set out.
ORIGIN AND BACKGROUND OF INVESTIGATION:
Mr. Harry Hopkins went to Moscow the latter part of May for the
purpose of holding certain conversations with Premier Stalin at Moscow,
Mr. Hopkins acting in the capacity of personal representative of the
President. Mr. Hopkins kept the President informed of the progress of
his conferences by telegram and telephone calls, the telegrams covering a
period from May 26 to June 6, 1945. Mr. Hopkins arrived in Washington on
the morning of June 12, 1945, and on the same day Drew Pearson's column
in the Washington Post was devoted entirely to the contents of the Hopkins-
Stalin conferences. The Drew Pearson articles are written approximately
three days in advance of their publication date and it appears probable,
therefore, that Pearson's information was obtained on or before June 9th.
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