861.20/545: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 19—7:23 a.m.]
113. Although have not yet discussed the matter with any Soviet officials, I am convinced that a United States Military Mission, even if accepted, is not desired by the Soviet Government and under present circumstances will not be able to function as such.83
The British Military Mission is practically restricted in its activities to the work which in our case is now being accomplished by your Lease-Lend Mission and by your Military Attaché.84
General Faymonville has repeatedly offered the services of technicians and to obtain any other needed help, but his offers, with very minor exceptions, have not been taken advantage of.
In my opinion it is highly undesirable to have a military mission here which can only function under existing conditions by overlapping the activities of the existing agencies.
[Here follows request for early instructions in the event that the War Department adhered to its plan to send the military mission.]
- Ambassador Standley, newly arrived in the Soviet Union, advised the Department in telegram No. 297, April 9, 1942, that he did not desire to take up the instructions about the Greely Mission with the Soviet Government (see footnote 68, p. 534) pending an opportunity “to examine the functioning of the Supply Mission headed by General Faymonville, having in mind the situation that might be created vis-à-vis the Soviet Government by the establishment of a second mission with possibly overlapping or analogous duties” (861.20/544).↩
- Lt. Col., later Brig. Gen., Joseph A. Michela.↩