Office of the Historian

740.0011 EW 1939/32243: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, December 8, 1943—9 a.m.

2144. Supplementing my 2131, December 6, 7 p.m.

I had occasion to ask Molotov last night how it had happened that Tass had made a statement regarding the conclusion of the Tehran Conference. He explained that (one) Reuter’s [Reuters] from Lisbon had predicted the meeting and (two) Senator Connally had announced it was going on. Tass could not ignore these reports and therefore stated the truth to end further rumors which were considered to affect adversely our mutual interests. It is my personal opinion that the British and we have more to explain to the Soviet Government than they have to us. I therefore recommend that we do not pursue the matter further with the Soviets.1

Harriman
  1. It does not appear that the matter was pursued further in Moscow, but the method of handling releases to the press was altered by decision of Roosevelt; see post, p. 848.↩