124.611/231: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Wiley) to the Secretary of State

423. Department’s 305, December 18, 2 p.m. As stated in Embassy’s 332, September 27, 4 p.m.,78 Mezhlauk promised to have assurances desired by the Department in the shortest possible time. These promises were reiterated personally to Ambassador Bullitt on October 8th prior to his departure. Subsequent communications with Mezhlauk’s office failed to produce more than assurances that the desired information would be forthcoming shortly. On November 29th Mezhlauk’s secretary informed the Embassy that any further inquiries should be made of the Foreign Office as Mezhlauk had turned the entire matter over to it. A full report of the situation was forwarded to the Department by despatch No. 277, December 3rd.78 As it was on the advice of Litvinov and other Soviet officials that the Ambassador approached Mezhlauk as the one Soviet official competent to handle the matter with the maximum of efficiency and authority the sudden decision to place it in the hands of the Foreign Office implies [Page 270] not only failure by Mezhlauk and others to carry out promises to the Ambassador but will make it most difficult to obtain effective action. With this in view I have considered it advisable to await the Department’s instructions before establishing the precedent of dealing through the Foreign Office on the questions relating particularly to costs of local labor, transportation and materials.

Wiley
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed.