Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, Europe, Volume III

740.0011 European War 1939/21469: Telegram

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

Kuibyshev (Moscow), May 7, 1942—5 p.m.
[Received May 8—8:01 a.m.]

370. I have received a telegram dated May 4 from the Moscow Embassy reading as follows:

107, May 4, 2 p.m. For the Ambassador from Faymonville. If you approve please transmit the following message.

“For Hopkins from Faymonville. President’s broadcast April 30⁶ was well translated by Soviet press. Effect was immediate and highly favorable. President’s description of heroic bomber flight appealed powerfully to Soviet public and brought congratulations and enthusiastic praise from Government officials, soldiers and civilians. Accounts of American exploits which may be filling all American press seldom reach the Soviet public unless they are restated with approval by American [Soviet] leaders. Similarly, American appreciation of Soviet exploits is made known to Soviet citizens almost exclusively through Soviet reprints of remarks by distinguished Americans. Comments by Admiral Standley and Bill Batt⁷ on Soviet achievements were widely quoted here. Continued references by our leaders to heroic-American and Soviet exploits will do much to build up and sustain confidence here and will help to counteract the disappointment felt over failure to establish a second front. Such reports will receive wide and very desirable publicity especially if we can at the same time give to Soviet Government officials solid and encouraging facts on American production and Lend-Lease shipments”.

The subject matter of this telegram is purely political and has little bearing on Lend-Lease or supply questions and I feel that it would have been more appropriate for Faymonville to have addressed to me for such unspecified use as I might see fit, the comments on American-Soviet political relations contained therein. I believe, however, that it would be inexpedient for me to withhold or alter the message and I am therefore forwarding it to the Department for transmission to Mr. Hopkins if the Department so desires. At the same time, I am addressing the following telegram to Faymonville:

“I appreciate receiving your views on American-Soviet political relations, to which in general I subscribe, and am forwarding your message to the Secretary of State with the suggestion that he may desire to transmit; it to Mr. Hopkins. I am inclined to feel, however, that it might be preferable in the future for you to address any information which might come to your attention concerning the political relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, or any views which you may have on this subject, to me alone for such unspecified use as I may deem appropriate. This is in accordance with my interpretation of the understanding reached with McCabe⁸ as reported to you in his message of March 23. I value your judgment and experience in such matters and shall always be glad to receive from you any information or comments you may desire to furnish me on this important subject.”

I may state that in general I concur in the views expressed by Faymonville and feel sure that he has accurately portrayed the views expressed to him by his limited Soviet contacts but has possibly misconstrued these views as representing the views of the public in general. The Soviet press did give prominence to the President’s speech: referred to, but the press in this country usually gives wide coverage to statements of friendly foreign statesmen, especially when such statements contain favorable references to the Soviet Union. There has been no perceptible change in this general policy in the present instance.

I should appreciate receiving the Department’s comments on this telegram.⁹

Standley

6. An address to the nation was broadcast by President Roosevelt on April 28, 1942. A partial text is in the Department of State Bulletin, May 2, 1942, p. 381, and the full text is in the Congressional Record, vol. 88, pt. 9, p. A1583.
7. William L. Batt, Director, Materials Division, War Production Board; later, Vice Chairman of the Board.
8. Thomas B. McCabe, Deputy Lend-Lease Administrator.

9. A memorandum to the Secretary of State dated May 11, 1942, written by Loy W. Henderson, Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs, and signed by Ray Atherton, Acting Chief of this Division, read as follows:

   “We believe that the Ambassador should have our full support in his efforts to centralize through him political reporting from the Soviet Union and the carrying on of conversations of political import in the Soviet Union between American and Soviet officials.

   “We feel that if we should fail to give the Ambassador full support in this instance his prestige would suffer to such an extent that his usefulness in the Soviet Union would be materially affected.”

   By telegram No. 219, May 11, Secretary Hull answered the Ambassador’s request: “I fully approve of the action taken by you. The message addressed to Hopkins was sent on to him.”