761.6211/157: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 31—8:52 p.m.]
493. The Supreme Soviet ratified the German-Soviet treaty at 8:45 this evening. The treaty was presented by Molotov in a long speech, a full summary of which will have to await publication in the press tomorrow.23 In general Molotov based his discussion of the treaty on [Page 347] Stalin’s speech to the Eighteenth Party Congress24 with the noticeable omission of that part which stated that the Soviet Union would support countries which were victims of aggression. Molotov charged that the British and French had been insincere in their negotiations with the Soviet Union and had been motivated by a desire to provoke a Soviet-German war. He also blamed Poland for its refusal to accept Soviet military aid under any condition. Molotov represented the treaty as an instrument of peace between the two most powerful states of Europe and said that even in the event of hostilities in Europe the treaty would limit the sphere of military activities. As to the commercial agreement with Germany, Molotov stated that the equipment which would be received from Germany under its terms would not only be of advantage to Soviet national economy but also to Soviet national defence. Molotov’s speech was interspersed with sarcastic references to England and France and warned against the attempts of enemies to disturb the new relations between Germany and the Soviet Union.
The ratification of the treaty was advanced on the calendar and the present session will continue tomorrow with a further consideration of points 1 and 2 which have not yet been entirely disposed of.
At the afternoon session Voroshilov25 presented the project for a change in the universal military service law which was adopted in principle. This provides for the lowering of age at which recruits may be called for military service, if they have not completed 10 years’ schooling, from 19 to 18. The period of active service was raised from 2 to 3 years for non-commissioned officers in the infantry and all ranks in the artillery frontier guards and air forces.
- For the essential points of Molotov’s speech of August 31, 1939, see memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs, September 2, p. 349.↩
- For reports on the speech by Stalin on March 10, 1939, from the Chargé in the Soviet Union, see telegram No. 99, March 11, and despatch No. 2213, March 30, Foreign Relations, The Soviet Union, 1933–1939, pp. 739 and 747.↩
- Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov, People’s Commissar for Defense of the Soviet Union.↩