Telegram from President Harry S. Truman to Prime Minister Winston Churchill

NLT 189 CR 6082 DIT 051631 PRIORITY IOP SEGRET AND PERSONAL NUMBER 59 DICLASSIFIED by authority of V.P.V P.326 TO: THE PRIME MINISTER $. Initials/Als Date 47-73 FROM: THE PRESIDENT AND 15. THE FOLLOWING IS THE MESSAGE TO HOPKINS REFERRED TO IN MY NUMBER 58. "I AM VERY PLEASED WITH YOUR CONTINUED AND STREN- UOUS EFFORTS REPORTED IN YOUR MESSAGES OF JUNE 3 TO INDUCE STALIN TO RELEASE AT LEAST SOME OF THE DETAINED POLISH POLI- TICAL 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 (PAGE 1 OF 2 )