711.61/762: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 20—6:50 p.m.]
1373. Reference my 1307, October 8, 5 p.m.6 My request for an interview with Molotov remains unanswered and an inquiry yesterday of his secretary elicited the response that the matter would again be brought to Molotov’s attention. Since the instructions contained in the Department’s telegram 614, October 3, 2 p.m. were not urgent and in view of the circumstances set forth in the last paragraph of my telegram under reference which I am more convinced than ever constitute the reason for the secretary’s unusual delay in obtaining an appointment with Molotov I have refrained from pressing my request with vigor.
[Page 398]However, as it is now 12 days since my original request I believe that I should either insist upon seeing Molotov immediately or cancel the request and made an appointment with Lozovski or Vishinsky in order to take up the questions outlined in the Department’s instructions. In view of the publicity which has apparently been given to reports of British-American-Soviet negotiations (in this connection see Berlin’s 4379, October 187) I would appreciate the Department’s views as to the advisability at the present time of insisting upon an interview with Molotov.
I might add that despite the assurances given me by Molotov on September 26 (see my 1238, September 27, 1 p.m.) of the disposition of the Soviet Government to settle satisfactorily certain problems of a secondary nature as he termed them, there has up to the present been little evidence that the Soviet Government intends to take favorable action in these matters. For example the question of the departure of American citizens from Soviet occupied Poland is still unsettled; no reply has been received to a further note concerning the Vladivostok Consulate, commerce [Embassy?] is still without additional housing.