741.61/986

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)

The British Ambassador called to see me this morning at his request.

The Ambassador informed me that Mr. Eden had handed M. Maisky, the Soviet Ambassador in London, a week ago, the text of the British proposals for the projected treaty between the Soviet Union and Great Britain covering the question of the Soviet frontiers. Lord [Page 545] Halifax informed me that, in this draft, Mr. Eden had explicitly reserved Polish rights as to her frontiers and had, likewise, inserted a specific provision which would permit all inhabitants of the Baltic republics to emigrate, with their goods and chattels and properties, should they so desire, if and when the Soviet Union claimed sovereignty over those regions, Mr. Eden had informed Lord Halifax that M. Maisky had apparently indicated no objection to these two points. The Ambassador said that the British Government was still awaiting official Soviet reaction to the draft.

S[umner] W[elles]