741.6111/35: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 26—2:55 p.m.]
2922. For the President and the Secretary. My telegram No. 2897, May 24, midnight. As the result of conferences which took place [Page 565] this morning the following changes in the Eden draft treaty have been suggested by the Russians and accepted by the British. These changes are appended at the end of this message. The object of the changes is to emphasize the “alliance” aspect of the treaty during the post-war period and in Eden’s view do not materially alter the substance of the treaty. Stalin approved the substitution of the Eden draft as amended for the frontier treaty. The treaty is being signed this afternoon.20 It is not to be made public for 3 weeks.21
A luncheon was given today for Molotov by Maisky which was attended by the Prime Minister, members of the Cabinet and ranking members of the British staffs. Averell22 and I were the only non-British or non-Russian guests. Molotov, the Prime Minister and Eden in giving expression to their hope of victory and peace stressed that it should be in collaboration with each other and with the United States.
The following are the changes in the treaty mentioned above: The title of the treaty is now as follows:
“Treaty between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for a military alliance during the present war and collaboration and mutual assistance thereafter.”
Article I
The words “the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” have been inserted between the words “established between” and the words “the High Contracting Parties.”
Article III (1)
The word “unite” has been substituted for the words “associate themselves” and the words “in the post-war period” have been added after the words “resist aggression”.
Article III (2)
The words “after the termination of hostilities” have been inserted between the words “they will” and the words “take all the measures in their power.”
Article IV
The words “during the post war period” have been inserted between the words “the High Contracting Parties” and the words “become involved” in the first line of paragraph 1 of the article.
[Page 566]The first sentence of the second paragraph of Article IV has been altered to read as follows:
“This article shall remain in force until the High Contracting Parties, by mutual agreement, shall recognize that it is superseded by the adoption of the proposals contemplated in article III (1)”.
Article V
The words “having regard to the interest of each in their security” have been inserted between the words “the High Contracting Parties” appearing at the beginning of the article and the words “agree to work together”. The word “states” has been substituted for the word “peoples” at the end of the article.
- For text of this treaty, see League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cciv, p. 353, or Department of State Bulletin, September 26, 1942, p. 781. Ratifications were exchanged in Moscow on July 4, 1942.↩
- Public statements announcing the conclusion of this treaty with the Soviet Union were made on June 11, 1942, by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Anthony Eden, in the House of Commons (Great Britain, Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 380, cols. 1349–1354), and by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Viscount Cranborne, in the House of Lords, ibid., House of Lords, 5th series, vol. 123, cols. 359–363.↩
- W. Averell Harriman.↩