811.7461/15a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley)
358. 1. The Navy Department has informed this Department substantially as follows:
- (a)
- It desires to establish a radio station in Eastern Siberia in order to observe radio transmissions from Japan and to transmit the observations to the United States. In order to function satisfactorily the station must be equipped with an adequate radio transmitter for the rapid and exclusive transmission of a specialized type of radio traffic dealing solely with Japanese radio transmission and manned by specialized naval personnel. From 1 to 2 United States Naval officers and 8 to 12 enlisted men would be required for operation.
- (b)
- If the Soviet Government should be willing to permit the establishment of such a station the Navy Department would welcome participation in the operation of the station by Soviet personnel and would be willing to furnish full instruction in the technique of the operation of the special radio installation to designated Soviet personnel. It also would welcome the presence of Soviet officials at the station who could make sure that the transmissions were strictly limited to matters dealing with Japanese radio transmissions.
- (c)
- In view of the specialized nature of the radio transmissions the Japanese would probably learn in time of the existence of the station.
- (d)
- It understands that the United States Naval Attaché at Kuibyshev, with the approval of the Ambassador, has already informally discussed this matter with the Soviet Naval authorities who have indicated that a request for the establishment of the station should come through regular diplomatic channels.
- (e)
- The Navy would appreciate it if the Ambassador in his discretion would discuss the matter of the station informally with the appropriate Soviet authorities with a view to obtaining their permission for the establishment of the station. If the Soviet authorities give their consent, the location of the station and the details of its operation and maintenance could be determined as a result of a mutual agreement between the designated Soviet authorities and the Navy Department.
2. You are authorized if you perceive no objections thereto to present this matter informally to the appropriate Soviet authorities. When doing so you may care to inform them that if they agree to the establishment of the station the United States Government would be prepared to grant such status to the Naval personnel connected with the station as might seem preferable to the Soviet Government. It would be willing to attach them either to the office of the Naval Attaché in Kuibyshev or in some capacity to Soviet armed forces.
3. Officers of the Navy Department have also stated informally that as an alternative to a station owned and operated by United States Naval personnel in Eastern Siberia it would be agreeable to them if the Soviet Government would permit them the full use of a station [Page 612] owned by the Soviet Government provided such a station would have all the necessary specialized equipment for the transmission of the Japanese radio transmissions and provided the United States Naval personnel on duty at that station could use it to the same extent as they would be able to use a station owned by the United States Government. It would also be agreeable to them if the operators of such a station should be Soviet citizens provided such operators would have the requisite technical qualifications. In your conversations with the Soviet authorities you are, therefore, authorized to discuss this alternative in case it should appear that the Soviet Government would prefer it.