Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1942, General; the British Commonwealth; the Far East, Volume I

840.50/920: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, December 15, 1942—midnight.
[Received December 16—11:14 a.m.]

538. My 1078, December 10, 11 p.m.,⁶⁹ from Kuibyshev.

1. During my conversation with Molotov this evening I referred to my conversation of December 10 with Vyshinski⁷⁰ with regard to the draft suggestion for the Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. I said that my Government was hoping to receive an expression of the Soviet attitude with regard to these suggestions as soon as conveniently possible since it felt that the matter of post-war relief and rehabilitation should now be considered as urgent.

2. Molotov said that Vyshinski had acquainted him with our conversation; that the matter was receiving the prompt attention of the Soviet authorities; that he thought that a favorable answer would be sent to Litvinov in the near future; and that the Soviet Government also was of the opinion that no further time should be lost in setting up an apparatus for administering post-war relief and rehabilitation. Although Molotov did not make any statement which could be considered as a definite reply, his remarks were such as to convey the impression that the answers which had been given to Litvinov’s questions had dispelled such doubts as the Soviet Government had entertained and that within a short time it would instruct Litvinov to state that in principle, at least, it is agreeable to the draft suggestions.

Henderson

69. Not printed.
70. Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky, Soviet Assistant People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs.