Message to Joseph Stalin from President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Stalin's message of 21 April 1943 was sent by the Map Room to the President on 24 April 1943 as GREEN #47 when he was on his trip to Monterrey, Mexico. The President prepared a draft reply, which he sent through the Map Room on 26 April 1943 to Secretary Hull for his opinion: "RED 16, 26 April 1943. "Ask Map Room please to show you long telegram from Chur chill to me dated 25th (PM-POTUS #284). "I suggest I send the following to Stalin together with a copy thereof to Churchill: "tMr. Stalin, Moscow. "I have received your telegram while on my Western in- spection trip. I can well understand your problem but I hope in present ituation you can find means to label your action as a suspension of conversation with the Polish Government in exile rather than a complete severance of diplomatic relations. "IIt is my view that Sikorski has not acted in any way with Hitler gang, but rather that he made a stupid mistake in taking the matter up with the International Red Cross. Also I am inclined to think that Churchill will find ways and means of getting the Polish Government in London to act with more common sense in the future. "!Let me know if I can help in any way, especially in regard to looking after any Poles you may desire to send out of Russia. "*Incidentially, I have several million Poles in the United States, very many of them in the Army and Navy. They are all bitter against the Nazis and knowledge of a complete diplomatic break between you and Sikorski would not help the situation. Signed Roosevelt.' "If you approve the above, have my Map Room send it, to- gether with a copy to Churchill." The Secretary of State approved the draft in the following memo- randum to Lt. Colonel Hammond (original filed with RED #16). - 1 -