740.0011 European War 1939/14917½
Memorandum by Mr. Harry L. Hopkins, Personal Representative of President Roosevelt52
Conference at the Kremlin on July 30, 1941, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Between Harry L. Hopkins and Mr. Stalin
Also present were Ambassador Steinhardt and Mr. Reinhardt,53 American Interpreter
I told Mr. Stalin that I came as personal representative of the President. The President considered Hitler the enemy of mankind and that he therefore wished to aid the Soviet Union in its fight against Germany.
I told him that my mission was not a diplomatic one in the sense that I did not propose any formal understanding of any kind or character.
I expressed to him the President’s belief that the most important thing to be done in the world today was to defeat Hitler and Hitlerism. [Page 803] I impressed upon him the determination of the President and our Government to extend all possible aid to the Soviet Union at the earliest possible time.
I told Mr. Stalin that I had certain personal messages from the President54 and explained my relationship to the Administration in Washington. I told him further that I just left Mr. Churchill in London who wished me to convey to him the sentiments which I had already expressed from the President.
Mr. Stalin said he welcomed me to the Soviet Union; that he had already been informed of my visit.
Describing Hitler and Germany, Mr. Stalin spoke of the necessity of there being a minimum moral standard between all nations and without such a minimum moral standard nations could not co-exist. He stated that the present leaders of Germany knew no such minimum moral standard and that, therefore, they represented an anti-social force in the present world. The Germans were a people, he said, who without a second’s thought would sign a treaty today, break it tomorrow and sign a second one the following day. Nations must fulfill their treaty obligations, he said, or international society could not exist.
When he completed his general summary of the Soviet Union’s attitude toward Germany he said “therefore our views coincide”.
I told Mr. Stalin that the question of aid to the Soviet Union was divided into two parts. First, what would Russia most require that the United States could deliver immediately and, second, what would be Russia’s requirements on the basis of a long war?
Stalin listed in the first category the immediate need of, first, antiaircraft guns of medium calibre, of from 20 to 37 mm., together with ammunition. He stated that he needed such medium calibre guns because of the rapidity of their fire and their mobility. He stated that all together he needed approximately 20,000 pieces of anti-aircraft artillery, large and small. He believed that if he could acquire such a quantity it would immediately release nearly 2,000 pursuit ships which are today required for the protection of military objectives behind the Soviet lines and such planes, if released, could be used as attacking forces against the enemy.
- Second, he asked for large size machine guns for the defense of his cities.
- Third, he said he heard there were many rifles available in the United States and he believed their calibre corresponded to the calibre used in his Army. He stated that he needed one million or more such rifles. I asked Mr. Stalin if he needed ammunition for these rifles and he replied that if the calibre was the same as the one used by the Red Army “we have plenty”.
In the second category, namely, the supplies needed for a long range war, he mentioned first high octane aviation gasoline, second, aluminum for the construction of airplanes and, third, the other items already mentioned in the list presented to our Government in Washington.
At this point in the conversation Mr. Stalin suddenly made the remark, “Give us anti-aircraft guns and the aluminum and we can fight for three or four years.”
I referred to the 200 Curtiss P–40’s which are being delivered to the Soviet Union and, in reply to a question from Mr. Stalin, I confirmed the fact that 140 were being delivered by way of England and 60 from the United States.
In connection with the delivery of these planes I referred to Lt. Alison’s55 presence in Moscow and said he was an outstanding expert in the operation of this type of plane. I asked if he would care to have Lt. Alison stationed in Archangel in an advisory capacity, to which Mr. Stalin replied affirmatively.
Mr. Stalin stated that he would be glad if we would send any technicians that we could to the Soviet Union to help train his own airmen in the use of these planes. He stated that his own airmen would show us everything about the Russian equipment, which he stated we would find very interesting.
He described at some length, but not in great detail as he did in the conference the next day, the planes which he had available. Mr. Stalin said the plane he needed particularly was the short-range bomber, capable of operating in a radius of 600 to 1100 kilometres, or with a total range of 1200 to 2200 kilometres.
I asked Mr. Stalin what he thought was the best route to ship supplies from the United States to the Soviet Union. Mr. Stalin stated that the Persian Gulf-Iranian route was not good because of the limited capacity of the Iranian railways and highways. He stated “Furthermore we do not yet know the view of the Iranian Government on this subject.”
Mr. Stalin stated that the Vladivostok route was not a favorable one. I emphasized the danger of its being cut off by the Japanese and Mr. Stalin in turn emphasized the great distance from the scene of battle.
Mr. Stalin believed that the Archangel route was probably the most practicable. Both Mr. Stalin and Mr. Molotov stated that the Archangel harbor could be kept open in the winter by the aid of ice breakers. Mr. Stalin pointed out that the only two absolutely ice free ports in the north were Murmansk and Kandalaksha.
[Page 805]I told Mr. Stalin that my stay in Moscow must be brief. I wished to accomplish as much as possible in the short time which I had at my disposal. I asked Mr. Stalin whether he wished to carry on the conversations personally or would prefer that I would discuss some of the details with other representatives of the Soviet Government. I said that, of course, I would prefer to confer directly with him but I realized he had a great many responsibilities at the moment. I told him that I had some personal messages from the President which I wanted to deliver at an appropriate time.
Mr. Stalin replied, “You are our guest; you have but to command.” He told me he would be at my disposal every day from six to seven. It was then agreed that I confer with representatives of the Red Army at ten o’clock that night.
I reiterated to Mr. Stalin the appreciation of the people of the United States of the splendid resistance of the Soviet Army and of the President’s determination to do everything to assist the Soviet Union in its valiant struggle against the German invader.
Mr. Stalin replied with an expression of gratitude of the Soviet Government.
I told Mr. Stalin that I expected to interview the representatives of the Anglo-American press following my meeting and asked whether Mr. Stalin had any wishes in connection with what I should say or whether he would prefer that no interview be held at all. I told him that under any circumstances the correspondents’ stories would be subject to the control of his censorship.
To this Mr. Stalin replied that anything I might have to say would require no censorship by his Government.
I expressed to Mr. Molotov my desire to call upon him and it was arranged that I should see Mr. Molotov at three the next day.
- Transmitted by President Roosevelt to Secretary of State Hull on September 5, 1941. Mr. Hopkins had arrived in Moscow at 8:20 a.m. on July 30, 1941.↩
- G. Frederick Reinhardt, Third Secretary and Vice Consul at the American Embassy in the Soviet Union.↩
- Ambassador Steinhardt confirmed that Hopkins had “delivered the President’s message to Stalin” (740.0011–European War 1939/13538).↩
- First Lieutenant John R. Alison, Air Corps, Assistant Military Attaché at the American Embassy in Moscow from August 1941, who also supervised the assembling of P–40 fighter planes at Archangel.↩