026 Foreign Relations/1366
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Davies ) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 17.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the Department’s instruction No. 322 of February 17, 1938,27 stating that consideration is being given to the possibility of shortening the fifteen-year period which at present elapses between the publication of Foreign Relations and the date of the official documents included therein and directing the Embassy to ascertain the views of the Soviet Government towards the possibility of publishing such documents within a shorter interval.
In compliance with this instruction the Embassy addressed a note to the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs setting forth the reasons which had led the Department to give consideration to this question and requesting an expression of the attitude of the Soviet Government thereon.
In reply to this note an official of the Commissariat has stated informally to an officer of the Embassy that the Soviet Government from its point of view perceives no necessity for the shortening of the present fifteen-year period, but recognizes that the decision in this matter rests with the Government of the United States. He added that if, however, it should be decided to shorten the present period the Soviet Government would prefer in each specific case to be consulted prior to the publication of any official documents or correspondence relating to Soviet-American relations.
Respectfully yours,
First Secretary of Embassy