124.611/266: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Bullitt ) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 4—11:15 a.m.]
220. This afternoon I discussed with Litvinov the question of building our new Embassy which he had asked me to take up with him in specific form. In order to make clear our difficulties I insisted that Litvinov should read the inter-office memorandum prepared for me by Mr. Bohlen which gives in detail the reasons we believe that the note from the Foreign Office dated March 3, 1935, makes the construction of an American Embassy building in Moscow technically impossible. (See Embassy’s telegram No. 87 of March 4, 4 p.m.) For your information I am sending the memorandum under reference in a subsequent message.86
[Page 275]Litvinov noted our objections in detail. He said that he thought it might be possible for us to bring in such foreign workmen as we might require and not confine imported workmen to Americans. He said that the Soviet Government would have no objection whatsoever to our paying all our local labor in Soviet rubles purchased illegally in Moscow. When I objected he replied: “This is the same old question. You wish to behave legally always and we have not the slightest objection to your making payments in Soviet rubles that you obtain in any way that you please although it may mean that your Embassy will cost you much less than it would cost otherwise.” He said that the United States Government would of course have full right to employ and discharge any workmen it might wish and to inspect and control every detail of the work during the process of construction. He commented that although the prices quoted by Torgsin were in excess of those suggested by the Department of State the question was still subject to negotiation. He suggested that the difficulty about transportation rates on the Soviet railroads could be overcome by making all such payments in Soviet rubles purchased anywhere at any price which would make all transportation expenses considerably less.
I pointed out to Litvinov that there was no competent building organization in the Soviet Union today and called his attention to the fact that the Mokhovaya Building which was completed only 12 months ago now requires 2 months of repair. He admitted that there was no competent building organization in the Soviet Union and said that he personally was confronted by much the same problem that confronted us. He asserted that he had received permission from his Government to build a new Foreign Office and that he did not know what organization could build a decent building. He remarked incidentally that he was having great trouble in finding an adequate building site and added that if we did not use the Lenin Hills site for our Embassy he would certainly ask for it at once for the new Foreign Office as it is unquestionably the best building site in Moscow. This happens to be true and I believe that Litvinov’s remark was sincere and not made for effect.
At the close of our conversation I said to Litvinov that until today I had been convinced that the Soviet Government had changed its attitude toward the United States to such an extent that it no longer wanted us to build an Embassy. He replied that on the contrary the Soviet Government was most anxious for us to build.
A number of signs seems to indicate that the Soviet Government is a trifle worried about the relations it has created with the United States and I suspect that momentarily pinpricking our Government is considered not good policy.
- See infra.↩