740.0011 European War 1939/18191: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union ( Thurston ) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 6—1:08 a.m.]
14. My No. 10, December 19, [1941,] 6 [1] p.m.,90 and later telegrams from Moscow.91 Sir Stafford Cripps92 stated to me today that Anglo-Soviet relations have again become static and that he attributes this to the unsatisfactory outcome of the recent Moscow meetings.93 He cited as evidence of this condition the fact that Stalin94 refused to receive him when he left Moscow, that no farewell entertainment has been arranged for him here, that General Mason MacFarlane95 has reported from Moscow that his mission has accomplished nothing there and is now “up against a stone wall” and, lastly following: When Eden was in Moscow, Stalin proposed a joint British-Soviet military expedition to Northern Norway and urged that this be carried out within 4 weeks. Eden agreed in principle and by his instruction General Nye96 immediately conferred with members of the Soviet General Staff with respect to a plan for the proposed operation. It was contemplated that further talks on this subject should take [Page 491] place but none have been held and the project apparently has been completely dropped.
Cripps stated that he was inclined to associate the recent Pravda article on Manila with this condition and inquired whether I had noticed any change in American-Soviet relations. I replied that apart from the article I had not.
The Ambassador then expressed the opinion, which he stated he hoped I would bring to your attention, that it is highly important that the situation brought to light by the Moscow meeting be settled immediately, as he feared that if it was not disposed of full cooperation in the war effort could not be achieved, the Soviets might undertake to make direct arrangements (such as with Poland regarding the Polish-Soviet frontier, and with Turkey regarding territorial concessions to Turkey by Bulgaria) which would embarrass both Great Britain and the United States in connection with the postwar settlement, might increase their present demands regarding frontiers, and, lastly, might, within the next few months when they would be in a position to enter the conflict with Japan, withhold their cooperation in the Pacific area until their terms were met thereby causing a delay which might prove very serious.
It is Cripps’ opinion therefore that an understanding should be reached with the Soviets by Great Britain, with the acquiescence of the United States, with respect to frontiers. He believes that this agreement must in the nature of things be based on full recognition of the Soviet claims to the three Baltic States,97 Bessarabia and Moldavia,98 and bases in Finland.99 In this latter connection he informed me that the Soviets have indicated that they may desire to be granted possession or control of Petsamo.
Cripps plans to leave by air tomorrow morning where he will embark for England. He stated that upon his arrival he plans to press the foregoing views on his Government.
- Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, p. 198.↩
- The necessity for the removal of the American Embassy from Moscow to Kuibyshev in October 1941 is explained in Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, pp. 907–911. Concerning the position of Walter Thurston, Counselor of Embassy with honorary rank of Minister, see ibid., p. 913, footnote 65.↩
- British Ambassador in the Soviet Union. He had told the American Embassy on the morning of December 27, 1941, of his resignation as Ambassador.↩
- For correspondence concerning the visit of the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Anthony Eden, for discussions in Moscow December 16–22, 1941, see Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, pp. 192–205.↩
- Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin, President of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union (Premier) after May 6, 1941.↩
- Lt. Gen. F. N. Mason-MacFarlane, chief of the British Military Mission in the Soviet Union.↩
- Lt. Gen. Archibald E. Nye, British Assistant Chief of Staff.↩
- See Foreign Relations, 1940, vol. i, pp. 357 ff.↩
- See ibid., pp. 444 ff.↩
- See ibid., pp. 269 ff.; ibid., 1941, vol. i, pp. 1 ff.↩