761.00/306

The Chargé in the Soviet Union ( Kirk ) to the Secretary of State

No. 1460

Sir: With reference to my telegram No, 166, dated June 27, 6 p.m.,91 I have the honor to transmit herewith a full translation91 of a speech made in Leningrad by People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs M. M. Litvinov, on June 23, 1938, which was published in the Leningradskaya Pravda on the following day, but which was not published by any Russian-language newspaper in Moscow. The text, however, was published in the July 5 edition of the Journal de Moscou and the Embassy has been informed that the full text of this speech was sent abroad to its subscribers by the Soviet news agency Tass. Inasmuch as a summary of this speech was transmitted to the Department in the telegram under reference, no attempt will be made in the present despatch to summarize at length this exhaustive statement in regard to the international situation and the attitude of the Soviet Government. Certain points, however, are worthy of particular attention, as Mr. Litvinov in this speech reaffirmed certain basic principles of Soviet foreign policy which in recent years have been kept somewhat in the background in statements by official spokesmen of the Soviet Government.

It will be noted that in the beginning of his speech M. Litvinov calls attention to the fact that there has been a tendency to forget that [Page 588] “with the preservation of the capitalist system a long and enduring peace is impossible.” After briefly reviewing on strictly Marxian lines the causes and results of the World War, M. Litvinov proceeds to offer some observations in regard to the Soviet attitude and policy toward the present international situation, namely, that, although the Soviet Union does not in principle consider one system of imperialism superior to another and does not participate in the struggle of imperialist interests, nevertheless the reemergence of militant German imperialism is of direct interest to the Soviet Union because of the unlimited scope of its ambitions and of its open designs upon Soviet territory. Likewise of direct interest also is the growth of Japanese aggression, which is not confined to the boundaries of China and also threatens the borders of the Soviet Union.

It is believed that the above considerations may be assumed as representing the real reason why the Soviet Union joined the League of Nations, an organization which, as will be observed, was characterized by M. Litvinov, in that portion of his speech which deals with post-war Europe, as a component part of the system established by the victorious powers to insure the dominance of their imperialist interests. Despite this, M. Litvinov takes pains to point out that the Soviet Union has loyally fulfilled the obligations it assumed in becoming a member of the League. In that section of his speech which deals with the pacts of mutual assistance concluded by the Soviet Union, as well as in that portion dealing with the evaluation of the balance of power in Europe at the present time compared with the pre-war period, M. Litvinov seeks to emphasize the fact that the Soviet Union is the decisive factor and warns the western democracies of Europe that without participation of the Soviet Union the balance of power has swung chiefly in favor of the former Central Powers.

The latter part of M. Litvinov’s speech is devoted to an orthodox Marxian explanation of why England and France, victorious in the World War and completely dominant for many years thereafter, have permitted their former enemies without serious opposition to revive and again menace their position.

Although the enclosed speech of M. Litvinov contains little that has not been said before at various times by Soviet leaders, it constitutes, as indicated above, a present reaffirmation of certain principles of Soviet foreign policy and represents an unusually frank and comprehensive statement of Soviet policy which Mr. Litvinov now chooses to place before the public both in Russia and abroad. It announces, in effect, that the Soviet Union does not consider itself an integral part of the present world system of states except for practical considerations of national policy and charges the world with notice of the fact that, if the countries with which it has hitherto consented to [Page 589] cooperate do not pursue policies in accordance with the desires of the Soviet Government, even this slight cooperation may be withdrawn.

Respectfully yours,

Alexander C. Kirk
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