740.0011 European War 1939/14195: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 21—8:44 a.m.]
304. Commenting to me yesterday afternoon upon Anglo-Soviet declaration reported in my 294, August 14,88 the Minister for Foreign Affairs rather minimized its importance saying that the only aspect of it which implied any practical consequences was the British assurance which after all contained nothing (as was evidenced by the supplementary British note) not already covered by the Treaty of Alliance. To my question whether he attached no value to the Soviet declaration he replied that it would have had a far greater significance if it had been offered before instead of after the Soviet Union had been attacked; but that it did have a certain moral or psychological value in that it had actually done a good deal to allay the popular apprehensions that inevitably arise in Turkey whenever the subjects of the Straits and of Russia come up simultaneously; the Russian declaration was therefore welcome and doubly so as it was made co-jointly with the British who might therefore be considered as guarantors.
My 280, August 1, 6 p.m.89 reported that there was apparently little prospect that the Soviet Government could be induced to make any such gesture of assurance to Turkey as British were urging upon them. British Ambassador tells me that that continued to be the case up to last moment when Molotov unexpectedly proposed the draft of joint declaration which was in fact adopted. Hugessen had meanwhile been sounding Turks as to possibility of some kind of declaration which would quiet their apprehensions about Russian ambitions particularly as regards the Straits, but matter had not reached point of any concrete suggestion from either side up to moment when he and his Soviet colleague were instructed to present joint declaration.
I have assumed you had advance notice of declaration as Hugessen had told me he would request Foreign Office to keep you advised.
Repeated to Moscow.