Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume V

860C.01/6–845: Telegram

The Chargé to the Polish Government in Exile (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State

London, June 8, 1945—10 p.m.
[Received June 8—9 p.m.]

Poles 65. Your 18, June 7.⁸⁹ Mikolajczyk states (1) he prefers Zakowski to be invited to the Moscow conversations instead of Kolodzeij, since the former is less known and his inclusion will create less violent reaction here; and (2) he still agrees to go to Moscow to consult with the persons listed, if invited to do so by the Commission of Three.

Zakowski, Mikolajczyk states, is an architect, works in the Polish Ministry of Information in London (section for study of post war reconstruction of industry) and has occasionally gone to Liverpool to lecture before the Polish section of the School of Architecture there. In London, he has never disclosed his political views. He was thought to lean toward the Socialists but was not a member of the Party. The clue to his real political attitude is doubtless to be found in the fact that he worked before the war in the cooperative society in Warsaw, together with Obsubka-Morawski, Premier of the “Lublin Govt” and Tolwinski, present mayor of Warsaw.

Mikolajczyk states he was hopeful Stalin would agree to invite Popiel and is keenly disappointed over his non-inclusion. He indicated that if he had realized it was possible, he would have been inclined to include Popiel instead of Stanczyk, thus having three of the four principal Polish political parties represented in the conversations instead of only two. He considers it unwise to suggest such a change now but would wish the Commission of Three, if it thinks it possible, to try once more to secure the inclusion of Popiel as a fourth representative from London.

As regards the arrested Polish political leaders, Mikolajczyk states he has been less hopeful than the impression Hopkins and Harriman seem to have gained. He has been inclined to think that Stalin would not do anything about those leaders until the Moscow meeting is held, in part because the Polish Govt in London has been pursuing the propaganda line that no Pole from London would go to Moscow as long as the arrested leaders are not released. It has been his feeling that if the conversations should progress successfully (and he has serious doubts about this), Stalin would release some at least of the arrested political leaders. If not, the Soviets would simply hold them and say they were guilty.

Mikolajczyk desires to stress that with so few party leaders, it is important that all the persons on the list shall actually arrive for the conversations. It should not turn out that the Soviets later say some have been unable to come because they cannot be found or prevented by health or other reasons. He suggests the point is pertinent in the light of the report of the attempted arrest of Zulawski by the NKVD⁹⁰ (my 56, May 6, to Dept, 162 to Moscow⁹¹) and the possibility he may be in hiding. Even with the full list, it is difficult to be optimistic about the eventual outcome of the conversations. As matters stand, the Peasant Party is represented by Witos and himself, and the Socialist Party by Stanczyk and Zulawski. The other persons on the list from inside Poland are doubtless good men but have no party backing and may find it difficult to resist pressure.

Mikolajczyk also desires to raise the question of (1) facilities for travel; (2) living and office accommodations in Moscow. I said I would inquire though I imagined the British would take care of (1) and the Soviet Govt of (2). He says he cannot be quite sure, especially as in this instance he will not of course be travelling, as in the past, as Polish Prime Minister. “Perhaps,” he said, “I shall need the same help as my friend Dimitrov”.⁹²

He and Stanczyk are seeing Prime Minister Churchill tomorrow at luncheon.

Repeated to Moscow as 191.

[Schoenfeld]

89. Not printed; this telegram repeated information contained in President Truman’s telegram 63 to Churchill, June 7, supra, and added: “Please ascertain from Mikolajczyk whether he prefers that Kolodzei or Zadowski be invited from England and report whether Mikolajczyk still agrees to go to Moscow to consult with the persons whose names are now on the list.” (860C.01/6–745)
90. People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union (Narodny Kommissariat Vnutrennykh Del).
91. Not printed; it transmitted information from Mikolajczyk regarding further arrests and attempted arrests of non-Communist political leaders within Poland (860C.01/5–645).
92. Late in May 1945, Dr. Georgi M. Dimitrov, a leader in the Bulgarian Agrarian Party, sought refuge in the home of the United States Representative in Bulgaria, Maynard Barnes, in order to escape probable arrest by the Communist-dominated Bulgarian Government. For documentation regarding the granting of asylum to Dimitrov, see telegram 268, May 24, 1945, 11 a.m. from Sofia, vol. iv, p. 220, and succeeding documents.