Stalin and Harriman Discuss Polish Politics

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State^[1]

Moscow, 12 June, 1944

Personal for the President.  I told Stalin last night that you were continuing to consider all matters between us in the atmosphere of Teheran and went over briefly the ground in my talk with Molotov bout the Poles as previously reported explaining that you had complete confidence that Stalin would carry out the policies toward the Polish people we had outlined then to you.  I had an opportunity to tell him that you were puzzled about the future of Lwow and hoped he would give sympathetic study to the matter in his dealings with the Poles.  I told him that this and the other boundary questions could best be worked out between him and the Poles if they were dealt with in an understanding manner.  He appeared pleased to learn of your attitude and said that he appreciated your position at the present time and would keep you informed of any important developments in Soviet Polish relations.  

He had been much interested to meet with the four Polish leaders who had come out of Poland.  He said they were “living men not émigrés”.  He told me they were anxious to see me and I indicated that if they approached me I would see them entirely unofficially.  He thought that this would be useful as they had much information of interest.  The Department had previously authorized me to see them unofficially if approached.^[2]   If they do I will of course insist on no publicity unless I am instructed otherwise.  

This was the first friendly talk I have had with Stalin about the Poles and I got the feeling that he saw a solution in the making which would be acceptable all around.  

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²⁷[Orig. Note] Copy of telegram obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.

²⁸[Orig. Note] Regarding the presence of the four representatives of the Polish National Council in Moscow after May 22 and Ambassador Harriman’s conversation with them on the evening of June 11, see pp. 1412-1418.

^[1][Orig. Note] Copy of telegram obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.

^[2][Orig. Note] Regarding the presence of the four representatives of the Polish National Council in Moscow after May 22 and Ambassador Harriman’s conversation with them on the evening of June 11, see pp. 1412-1418.