411.61 Assignments/97
The Ambassador of the Soviet Union (Troyanovsky) to the Secretary of State
The Ambassador of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics presents his compliments to the Secretary of State and referring to the conversations concerning the suits instituted by the government of the United States to recover assets of former Russian corporations nationalized by the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, has the honor to state that the 1933 agreement has in view those rights of the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which are subject to realization on the territory of the United States and which have passed to the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by virtue of its succession to former governments of Russia or by virtue of its succession to private companies on the basis of legislation concerning nationalization.
The basic nature of the amounts which were assigned by the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in favor of the government of the United States is given in the exchange of communications between the President of the United States and Maxim M. Litvinoff, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on November 16, 1933, in the words: “for the amounts admitted to be due or that may be found to be due it, as the successor of prior Governments of Russia, or otherwise, from American nationals.…”76 These words define these amounts as amounts passing to the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by virtue of succession, either succession to “prior governments of Russia”, or succession “otherwise”, for instance, to pre-revolutionary organizations and companies which were nationalized in accordance with Soviet legislation.
- Omission indicated in the original.↩