740.0011 European War 1939/9531
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
Washington, March 20,
1941.
After the conclusion of the general conference with the Soviet Ambassador this afternoon,23 I asked the Ambassador to remain in order that I might talk with him alone for a few minutes. The Ambassador asked if I had any further information in confirmation of what I stated to him secretly in our last interview,24 namely, that this Government believed that Germany was planning to attack the Soviet Union. I said that I had additional information in confirmation of that report.25
S[umner] W[elles]
- No record has been found in Department files.↩
- See telegram No. 256, March 4, 7 p.m., to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, p. 714.↩
- On March 19, 1941, the Greek Minister, Cimon Diamantopoulos, left a memorandum with Under Secretary of State Welles wherein it was stated that the Greek Government had received information that the Swedish Government had learned through its Missions in Berlin, Bucharest, and Helsinki from German sources that there were indications of serious discussions that “Germany could attack Russia.” (740.0011 European War 1939/9288)↩