711.00111 Armament Control/Military Secrets/482

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador of the Soviet Union ( Troyanovsky )

The Acting Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and has the honor to refer to the Ambassador’s memoranda of November 24, 1936 and January 4, 1937,15 in regard to the desire of the Amtorg Trading Corporation to negotiate with certain American manufacturers of steel for the purchase of heavy armor for battleships and cruisers to be exported to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

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Mr. Moore informs Mr. Troyanovsky that there are no treaties or statutes which would prevent American companies from manufacturing for export to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics armor plate in accordance with specifications furnished to them by the Amtorg Trading Corporation. Accordingly, this Government would have no objection in principle to the transactions outlined in the Ambassador’s memoranda.

Mr. Moore encloses, for Mr. Troyanovsky’s information, a copy of a pamphlet International Traffic in Arms 16 and invites his attention particularly to the provision of law set forth under Section V of that pamphlet. In view of that provision of law, American manufacturers entering into contracts to furnish armor plate for export would, if they were at the same time engaged in manufacturing for this Government, be obliged to abide by such rules and regulations designed for the preservation of military secrets of interest to the National Defense as the competent authorities of this Government might find it necessary to prescribe.

  1. Latter not printed.
  2. Department of State, International Traffic in Arms: Laws and Regulations Administered by the Secretary of State Governing the International Traffic in Arms, Ammunition, and Implements of War and Other Munitions of War, 3d ed. (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1936).