Office of the Historian

861.24/520a: Telegram

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

Washington, July 17, 1941—7 p.m.

907. The Soviet Ambassador today asked if the American Government would be willing to receive a Soviet military mission to the United States composed of approximately six officers headed by Lieutenant-General Golikov.40 The purpose of this mission, the Ambassador said, would be to supervise the placing of Soviet orders and to cooperate with the American authorities in the procurement of supplies and equipment for the Soviet Union.

After discussing the matter with the President and the War Department, I have informed the Ambassador that this Government would be pleased to receive such a mission.

Welles
  1. This Soviet Military Mission arrived by airplane in New York on July 26, 1941. Lt. Gen. Filip Ivanovich Golikov, Deputy Chief of Staff, was Chief of the Mission: Division Engineer Alexander Konstantinovich Repin was Assistant Chief; and 1st Lt. Nikolay Vasilyevich Evsikov was the Secretary.↩