811.20 Defense (M)/236: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 16—3:25 a.m.]
336. Ivanoff, the Soviet Chargé d’Affaires, called on me today with the advice that his Government has now replied to the inquiry he promised to make (see my 322, August 12, 1 p.m.) regarding the Selenga cargo. He said that the reply confirms the interest of the Soviet Union in the wolfram and antimony in question. These, said [Page 661] Ivanoff, are urgently needed by the Soviet Union “which is engaged in an intensive effort to strengthen its military defenses for reasons we could divine”. He volunteered the assurance that the ores would be used in the Soviet Union and would not be reshipped to Germany. Ivanoff said that the Soviet commercial delegation at Chungking has had recent discussions of the matter with the Chinese Government which approves delivery to the Soviets. (I cannot check this through Wellington Koo who is confined to his bed with grippe.)