861.24/841: Telegram

The Second Secretary of Embassy in the Soviet Union (Thompson) to the Secretary of State

48. For Stettinius from Faymonville. Reference paragraph 5 of your cablegram 35, February 14, 3 p.m.69 In principle Soviet Government approves reciprocal action on synthetic rubber. On this basis will exchange products of synthetic rubber industry, or information on technological processes, or formulas or actual experience by sending and receiving technical personnel in agreed numbers and with agreed qualifications. I recommend that you ship me 50 tires for various military vehicles, produced in the United States by synthetic rubber industry for exchange for similar Soviet products. If you are willing to carry the exchange relationship further, please indicate basis on which I may extend the proposal.70 [Faymonville.]

Thompson
  1. Not printed; in this telegram, General Spalding informed Colonel Faymonville that American synthetic rubber specialists were extremely interested in Soviet experience in that field (861.24/823).
  2. By telegram No. 140 of March 25, 1942, the Department instructed the Embassy at Kuibyshev to endeavor to obtain seeds of a Russian rubber producing plant (102.73/2969a).