740.00116 European War 1939/427: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Steinhardt )
1000. Your 1545, August 20, 6 p.m.50 As a signatory of the Prisoners of War Convention of 1929, not 1939,51 and because of its humanitarian interest in the treatment accorded prisoners of war, Department is interested to learn whether the Soviet Government intends to observe this convention. If the Soviet Government does not intend to observe the 1929 but rather an earlier convention the Department would be equally interested to learn of that fact. The Department would assume, of course, that the observation of any such convention by the Soviet Government would be on a reciprocal basis as indicated in the final paragraph of your 1458.