Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The Far East, Volume IV

761.94/1253: Telegram

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

[Extract]²

Moscow, January 6, 1941—4 p.m.
[Received 7:47 p.m.]

14. Although I can see no reason at this time to attach significance to the coincidence of a halt in the Soviet-Japanese, Soviet-German and Soviet-Rumanian negotiations at approximately the same time, certain general observations in relation thereto suggest themselves.

The halt in the Soviet-Japanese negotiations appears to have been occasioned by the unwillingness of the Japanese Government to pay the price demanded by the Soviets. The Soviet attitude appears to be a confident belief that as Japanese difficulties increase the Japanese Government will eventually decide to pay the price and that in consequence the Soviet Government has every reason to adopt a waiting attitude.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Steinhardt

2. Remainder of this telegram is printed in vol. i , section II under “Activities of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe, and Soviet Relations With the Belligerent Powers.”