Office of the Historian

861.415/63: Telegram

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

Moscow, November 8, 1940—5 p.m.
[Received 9:25 p.m.]

1503. Contrary to his previous practice Molotov did not speak at the annual meeting on the eve of the November 7 holiday.18 The address this year was made by Kalinin19 who avoided any definite statements concerning Soviet foreign affairs or any reference to Soviet relations with other countries. He merely emphasized that the Soviet policy is one of peace and neutrality and in this connection asserted [Page 236] that “of the great states in actual fact the Soviet Union is the only one which remains outside of the war observing strict neutrality.” He stated that the present international situation “does not give us the right to be indifferent observers and tranquil spectators of developing events” and characterized the chief task of the Soviet people as one of strengthening the economic and defensive power of the Soviet Union thereby carrying out their duty to the international proletariat.

In respect of international [internal] affairs he spoke of the recent improvement in industrial production which occurred during the summer months as a result of the new measures taken by the Government to improve labor discipline. He spoke of the past successful agricultural year and stated that the “gross production of grains this year was close to seven billion poods”.20 This would indicate that the 1940 grain crop, as indicated in the Embassy’s No. 1432, October 28, 6 p.m.,21 was almost equal to the 1937 record crop. However, it should be noted that the figure given by Kalinin refers to gross production and consequently does not reveal the actual barn production.

Steinhardt
  1. Following the policy adopted by the United States in 1939 (see telegram No. 228, November 4, 1939, to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, and footnote 95, Foreign Relations, The Soviet Union, 1933–1939, p. 790), no message of felicitation was sent by President Roosevelt on this anniversary, but cards were left at the Embassy of the Soviet Union in Washington (861.458/14, 17).↩
  2. Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin, President (Chairman) of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union.↩
  3. One pood equaled 36.113 pounds.↩
  4. Not printed.↩