Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940, The British Commonwealth, The Soviet Union, The Near East and Africa, Volume III

611.6131/585: Telegram

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

Moscow , July 6, 1940—5 p.m.
[Received July 6—4:15 p.m.]

823. After Stepanov⁴⁶ handed to me the communication reported in the Embassy’s 824, July 6 (to follow this message)⁴⁷ I endeavored to engage him in conversation by inquiry as to the working of the present commercial agreement. He replied that the Soviet Government was encountering many difficulties in its trade with the United States and that if such difficulties could be removed trade would increase. I replied that as he of course was aware some of the difficulties to which he alluded and about which Molotov⁴⁸ had spoken to me were produced by special circumstance of the moment.⁴⁹ I then inquired whether in the event negotiations are undertaken for the extension of the commercial agreement his Government intends to bring up these “difficulties” for discussion. Stepanov replied that it does.⁵⁰

Thurston

46. Mikhail Stepanovich Stepanov, Assistant People’s Commissar for Foreign Trade of the Soviet Union.
47. Infra.
48. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.
49. See telegram No. 604, May 31, midnight, from the Chargé in the Soviet Union, p. 304.
50. A note by Loy W. Henderson, Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs, attached to telegram No. 824, July 6, 6 p.m. (infra), reads: “This tends to confirm our belief that the inauguration of negotiations for the renewal of the agreement will open the door to renewed Soviet protests.”