Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943

Moscow Embassy Records

Memorandum by the First Secretary of Embassy in the Soviet Union (Bohlen)¹

[Moscow,] November 16, 1943.

Conversation

[Participants:]	The American Ambassador, Mr. Harriman
	Mr. Bohlen
	The Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Molotov
	Mr. Pavlov

After an exchange of congratulations on the Tenth Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the U. S. S. R., the Ambassador told Mr. Molotov that he expected to leave Moscow on Friday, November 19, to meet the President who would be in Cairo on November 22.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Ambassador then said that, although he had immediately telegraphed to the President to obtain further information in regard to the size of the American military staff and the military subjects to be discussed, the President unfortunately had left before he could reply.² The President was now on shipboard and it was impossible to communicate with him since radio silence was being observed. He added, however, that General Deane and he would be prepared to give Mr. Molotov or the Soviet military representatives any opinions or information they might have as to the probable subjects to be discussed at the meeting. The Ambassador said in regard to the military staff that, while he had no definite information, he believed it would be very restricted.

The Ambassador then, at Mr. Molotov’s request, outlined the military subjects which in his opinion would probably come up for discussion. Among these were the coordination of strategy for the opening up of a second front in Europe by the Anglo-American armies this spring, the military aspects of Turkey’s participation in the war, the best use which could be made in the Allied cause of the forces in the Mediterranean which would be released when the Allied line was finally stabilized north of Rome, and also the question of the Dodecanese Islands and the opening of the Dardanelles.

Mr. Molotov then inquired whether the Ambassador had received from General Deane the information which General Antonov had given him yesterday, namely that according to Soviet information seven German tank divisions and six infantry divisions had been moved from the West to the Soviet-German front, these divisions coming not from Italy but from Western Europe. Mr. Molotov added that the Germans were pressing the Soviet forces very hard with the help of these new tank divisions in the Fastov sector.

The Ambassador said that General Deane had given him this information and he had, as in the case of previous similar information, cabled immediately to the President, but that, in view of the President’s departure, it was obvious no reply could be received.

With reference to the earlier information from the Soviet Government regarding the transfer of German divisions from Italy to the East, the Ambassador said that it was considered more suitable to discuss that and all military questions at the Conference rather than by telegram. He added that General Deane had, however, received information from the United States General Staff to the effect that the plans for the second front which had been outlined at the Conference³ were proceeding satisfactorily and that the schedule as presented would be adhered to.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

… The Ambassador repeated his offer to give Mr. Molotov any information that either he or General Deane had in regard to possible subjects to be discussed at the meeting, adding that he would of course be glad to transmit to the President any observations in regard to the meeting which Marshal Stalin or Mr. Molotov might have.

Mr. Molotov thanked the Ambassador and then inquired whether the United States Government had anything new on the attitude of the Turkish Government. He said he assumed that the United States Government had been fully informed of Mr. Eden’s talks with the Turkish Foreign Minister in Cairo.⁴ The Ambassador replied that he had nothing new but that both the Government and himself had been fully informed of Mr. Eden’s talks.

Mr. Molotov then said that the Soviet Government had recent information that the German Ambassador in Ankara, Von Papen, had been given assurances by the Turkish Government that the Turkish attitude toward the war remained unchanged.⁵

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Ambassador then inquired whether Mr. Molotov thought it would be possible for General Deane to discuss with the appropriate Soviet staff officer the American proposal presented at the Conference for air bases⁶ before his departure for the Conference.

Mr. Molotov replied that he believed the discussion of the American proposals should be arranged before General Deane’s departure and agreed with the Ambassador that a preliminary discussion of this question before the meeting at Tehran would be advantageous.

1. For the passages of this memorandum which are omitted, see ante, p. 93.
2. See ante, p. 80.
3. Moscow Conference; see ante, p. 137.
4. Numan Menemencioğlu. Regarding the talks, see ante, pp. 164, 174, 190.
5. For Steinhardt’s report of a conversation between Menemencioğlu and Von Papen on this subject, see ante, p. 193.
6. Proposal presented at the Moscow Conference; see ante, p. 136.