611.0031/2047
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Soviet Ambassador46 called to pay his respects on his return from a protracted visit to Moscow, and had no business in particular. He asked something about the neutrality legislation here, and I said that it was in a chaotic situation and he would have to await results at the Capitol.
I emphasized the vital necessity for the carrying forward of our trade agreements program and of other nations joining in it, in order that 12 or 14 million unemployed wage earners in countries like Italy, Germany, Great Britain and the United States, might be put back to work and the possibility or probability of European war thereby greatly minimized. I elaborated at some length on the reasons why world trade restoration, in addition to the development of domestic economy policies, marked the difference between probable war and possible peace, adding that when people were employed and comfortable they did not follow off after unwise and sinister leadership and were not susceptible of being easily hurled into wars. Some illustrations were suggested as to what a solid front on the part of the more important countries would accomplish in discouraging desperado nations from embarking on hostilities for aggressive purposes. The Ambassador agreed to all of these phases, as I knew he would.
I illustrated further to him what happens when the great nations, like Great Britain, the Soviet Union and America, undertake complete isolation or virtually so, saying that desperado nations get on the march and then these great nations are obliged to spend literally billions of dollars in big, defensive armaments, and that this is the penalty paid for economic isolation, to say nothing of the dangers of destructive war. The Ambassador said that he felt substantially better about the outlook for trade development between our countries than he did when he left here for Moscow some months ago, and that he would be in to see me from time to time for discussions. He spoke generally and not specifically.
- Alexander Antonovich Troyanovsky.↩