811.3361/37
The Chargé in the Soviet Union ( Henderson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 27.]
Sir: With reference to this Embassy’s telegram No. 197 of July 29, 1937,39 and its despatch No. 506 of August 20, 1937, relating to the visit of Admiral Yarnell and several vessels of the United States Asiatic Fleet to Vladivostok during the period July 28 to August 1, 1937, I have the honor to enclose a memorandum39 regarding the visit prepared by Lieutenant-Colonel Faymonville, the Military Attaché of this Mission, who went to Vladivostok in order to participate in the festivities attendant to the call. It is regretted that pressure of other work rendered it impossible for one of the Secretaries of the Mission also to be present. It is understood, however, that Lieutenant-Colonel Faymonville was able to render the Admiral and his staff valuable assistance and that he was particularly useful in helping them to orient themselves in the surroundings peculiar to the Soviet [Page 391] Union and in giving them advice with respect to Soviet currency conditions, manner of entertaining, and so forth.
As of possible interest both to the State and Navy Departments, I am also submitting herewith translations of three articles which appeared in the Soviet press relating to the visit.40 These three articles were selected for translation as being typical of numerous accounts of the visit published in various Soviet newspapers.
At the request of Admiral Yarnell, I have addressed a letter to the Acting People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs expressing the appreciation of the Admiral and of the American Government for the courtesies shown by Soviet officials during the course of the visit.41
Respectfully yours,
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- None printed.↩
- With the passing of time the good effects of this visit diminished, and Mr. Henderson, when he was Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs in the Department of State, in a memorandum of January 16, 1939, advised against the desirability of American warships paying a visit to Leningrad in 1939, because the Vladivostok visit of 1937 had not brought about “an increase of understanding between the hosts and guests and did not arouse feelings of mutual esteem.” (811.3361/41)↩