Moscow Embassy Files, 500 Three Power Conference

The Soviet People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs (Molotov) to the Chargé in the Soviet Union (Hamilton)37

[Translation]

Dear Mr. Chargé d’affaires: With reference to your letter of September 20 concerning the agenda proposed by the Government of the United States for the Three Power Conference,38 I have the honor to inform you that Ambassador Gromyko39 has been instructed to transmit to the Government of the United States the following reply of the Soviet Government:

“The Soviet Government has acquainted itself with the agenda for the conference of the representatives of the Governments of the United States of America, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union proposed by the Government of the United States. The Soviet Government, in expressing its agreement to the holding of the Conference, expressed itself in the sense that for the success of this Conference it was desirable to receive from the Governments of Great Britain and the United States of America a list of the questions to be considered at the Conference, as well as proposals on these questions. This proposal of the Soviet Government met with no objection but thus far such proposals have not been advanced by the American Government, except for the proposal concerning the Four Power Declaration.

For its part the Soviet Government proposes the following:

1. To consider measures for shortening the war against Germany and its allies in Europe.

It has in view such urgent measures on the part of the Governments of Great Britain and the United States in 1943 as will insure the invasion of Western Europe by the Anglo-American armies across the English Channel and which, together with the powerful blows of the Soviet armies against the basic forces of the German Army on the Soviet-German front, should basically undermine the military strategic position of Germany and lead to a decisive shortening of the length of the war.

2. The Soviet Government has no objection to the consideration of the proposals of the Government of the United States on questions concerning European countries. The Soviet Government considers it desirable, however, that the Government of the United States of America communicate in advance its proposals concerning the questions submitted by it for agreement between the three Governments.

[Page 535]

Furthermore, the Soviet Government draws the attention of the American Government to the fact that this conference, as was agreed, should be a conference of three powers—the United States of America, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union—as a result of which the Soviet Government sees no reason for the inclusion in the agenda of point one, which contains a project for a joint four-power declaration.

3. The Soviet Government considers that the conference of the representatives of the three Governments should have only a preparatory character and should elaborate proposals for final decision by the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, and the USSR.”

Please accept [etc.]

V. Molotov
  1. As corrected by a letter from Mr. Molotov to the Charge dated September 30, 1943.
  2. See footnote 32, p. 528.
  3. Mr. Gromyko became Soviet Ambassador in the United States on September 29, 1943.