Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1940, General, Volume I

138 U.S.S.R./607: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, December 15, 1940—9 p.m.
[Received December 15—7:50 p.m.]

1734. For the Under Secretary.⁵¹ Department’s 869, December 13, 4 p.m.⁵² In the course of your conversations with Umanski⁵³ you may wish to consider the advisability of referring to the fact that the Soviet Government has ignored the Embassy’s notes for the past 14 months concerning the seizure and nationalization of American property in Poland, Bessarabia and particularly the Baltic States and to contrast such treatment with the negotiations now being secretively carried on here with Germany and Sweden to compensate the nationals of these countries for their property in the Baltic States (see my telegram 1731, December 14, 6 p.m.). This might serve as a reply to Umanski’s pressure for action in the matter of the gold and ships of the Baltic States sequestrated by our Government as I am persuaded that as soon as he has as many machine tools as he believes he can obtain you will be subjected to severe pressure in the matter of the gold and ships of the Baltic States.

Steinhardt

51. Sumner Welles.
52. Vol. iii, p. 417.
53. Konstantin Alexandrovich Umansky, Soviet Ambassador to the United States.