860C.01/546: Telegram

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

271. Your 503, May 8, 6 p.m. Since the Soviet Government objects to the use of the term “Soviet occupied Poland,” the Embassy in the future should draft its notes in such a way as to designate localities under discussion in this area without employing the expression to which offense is taken. It is believed that, as a rule, the names of towns or villages and of territorial subdivisions should be sufficient to designate given localities. If the Soviet Government insists, there is no objection to the use of the Russian names of towns and subdivisions. In case it becomes necessary to refer to the whole area the Embassy may employ expressions similar to the following: “the territory now referred to as the western Ukraine and western Belorussiya”.

The Department does not consider that the use of Russian place names or of expressions similar to that suggested above indicates that this government recognizes Soviet claims to sovereignty over Soviet occupied Poland. The Embassy will of course take care not to describe localities in Soviet occupied Poland as being a part of the U. S. S. R. or of a Soviet republic.

Hull