740.0011 European War 1939/9386a: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Steinhardt )
365. On March 25, during the course of the regular press conference, a correspondent inquired if the Acting Secretary would care to comment on the reaffirmation of the Russian-Turkish non-aggression treaty. I replied that, in times like these and particularly during the past months when so many independent nations have had their autonomy and their independence destroyed, at least temporarily—and in line with the policy which I had cited a few minutes ago as being the policy of this Government—it was of course a matter of satisfaction to this country when a great power like the Soviet Union reaffirmed its intention of maintaining what I understood was termed its “comprehensive neutrality” in the event that a neighboring country suffered attack.
[For a statement by Secretary of State Hull on April 14, 1941, upon the conclusion of the Neutrality Pact between Japan and the Soviet Union on April 13 at Moscow, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, volume II, page 186. For text of the treaty, see Department of State Bulletin, April 29, 1945, page 812, or British and Foreign State Papers, volume CXLIV, page 839. Correspondence relating to the negotiation of this treaty is printed in Foreign Relations, 1941, volume IV, pages 905 ff.]