124.611/231: Telegram

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

4. Your 423, December 23, 4 p.m. You are instructed to present personally to Litvinov a formal note embodying the questions contained in the Department’s 305, December 18, 2 p.m.

In order to be of any value, Litvinov’s reply must be in formal written form. It is the desire of this Government to proceed with the construction of the Embassy and to begin work in the month of April or even sooner if practicable, but work cannot begin until this Government is assured in writing that the Soviet Government will make the arrangements necessary to enable the work to be completed in accordance with American standards.79

If you derive from Litvinov the impression that the Soviet Government is attempting to make the construction of the Embassy impossible you might intimate that such action would be peculiarly inappropriate at the present moment. You should also endeavor to convince Litvinov that the Soviet Government should give us the written assurances requested within a fortnight if work is to be begun in the Spring. In view of Mezhlauk’s assurances that complete information would be available by September 25, 1934, there should be no difficulty in obtaining the necessary information immediately.

Hull
  1. Funds for construction were available from the appropriations by Congress under the Foreign Service Buildings Act of May 7, 1926, 44 Stat. 403.