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

860C.01/6–1145: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, June 11, 1945—10 p.m.
[Received June 11—9 p.m.]

2014. Polco. ReDepts 1260, June 9, 11 a.m. Polish Commission met today and agreed to send invitation to individuals agreed upon. Exact wording of invitation is contained in my next following message.⁹⁶

This invitation will be delivered to the persons within Poland, through the offices of the Soviet Ambassador in Warsaw⁹⁷ and to the Poles in England through the British FO.

We further agreed that a public statement should be made by the three Govts based on the wording of the invitation and including the names of the persons to be invited for release in the morning newspapers in the three countries Wednesday June 13. The exact text of the release is being drafted and I will telegraph it tomorrow.⁹⁸ The above date was fixed in order to give time for the delivery of the invitations before any public announcement.

Rptd to London as No. 266 for Winant and Schoenfeld.

Harriman

96. Telegram 2015, June 11, 11 p.m., not printed. The text of the invitation to be sent to the Polish leaders reads as follows:

    “The People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR, V. M. Molotov, the British Ambassador, Sir Archibald Clark-Kerr and the Ambassador of the United States of America, Mr. W. A. Harriman, authorized by the Crimea Conference of the three Allied powers to consult with members of the Provisional Polish Govt and with other democratic leaders in Poland and abroad concerning the reorganization of the Provisional Polish Govt on a broader democratic basis with the inclusion of democratic leaders from Poland itself and Poles from abroad, and concerning the formation of a Polish Provisional Govt of National Unity would like to meet with you on this question and request you to arrive in Moscow on June 15 of this year.”

    The invitation was signed by Molotov, Clark Kerr and Harriman. (860C.01/6–1145)

97. Viktor Zakharovich Lebedyev, who was named Ambassador in January 1945 and arrived in Warsaw in February.
98. Telegram 2032. June 12, 6 p.m., from Moscow, not printed; for text of the statement, issued for simultaneous release in Washington, London, and Moscow at 7 p.m., Eastern War Time, June 12, see Department of State Bulletin, June 17, 1945, p. 1095.