Moscow Embassy Files: Lot F–96
The People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union (Molotov) to the American Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley)
Mr. Ambassador: I ask you to transmit the following answer from the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR, I. V. Stalin, to President F. D. Roosevelt, to his messages received on the 9th and 10th of July:
“I have received your message appointing Major General F. Bradley, Captain Duncan and Colonel Michela as the American representatives at the conference in Moscow. All necessary assistance in the accomplishment of the duties of their assignment will be accorded to the American representatives.
“On the side of the USSR, Major General Sterlingov, Colonel Kabanov and Colonel Levandovich will take part in the conference.
“Regarding the survey flight, one airplane (an American two-motored airplane is intended) would be sent on the earliest possible day from Krasnoyarsk to Nome, which could take American officers with it on the return flight from Nome.
“I take this opportunity to express to you my appreciation for the information that 115 additional tanks are being sent to the USSR.
“I consider it a duty to inform you that, as our specialists at the front confirm, American tanks catch fire very easily from the shells of antitank weapons striking from the rear or the sides. This arises from the high octane gasoline used by American tanks, which forms a great body of gasoline vapor in the tank, creating favorable conditions for the outbreak of fire. German tanks also operate on gasoline, but their gasoline is low octane, not forming great quantities of vapor, and as a result they are very much less subject to burning. Our specialists consider the diesel as the most suitable motor for tanks.”
Accept [etc.]
- File translation revised by the editors.↩