121.861/159: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 23—6:50 p.m.]
502. At a conference immediately following his arrival here Mr. Davies delivered a lecture to the press correspondents here on the disservice they would be rendering their countries if any of them criticized the Soviet Union. I fear that this and other remarks made at the [Page 652] time were the main cause for an unfortunate event which I feel I must now report to the Department.
At a formal press conference last evening40 Mr. Davies furnished the American and British correspondents with certain on the record information of an unimportant nature regarding his interview with Stalin. He refused to discuss in any detail the President’s letter to Stalin and was evasive in replying to questions as to whether I was present when the letter was transmitted or whether he was aware of its contents. The conference was then placed off the record.
A correspondent asked Mr. Davies whether he had discussed with Stalin the question of American-Russian cooperation and specifically that of supplying our Military and Naval Attachés41 with information which would contribute toward the saving of lives of American soldiers and sailors. Mr. Davies replied in the negative, adding that full cooperation already existed and that the Russian authorities were furnishing the American Government with all the military information it desired but that from fear of leaks on the part of subordinate officials this information was only given to top men. Reynolds42 immediately took issue stating that Generals Arnold43 and Eisenhower44 had informed him that such information was not being received. He enquired who Davies meant by the top and Davies replied the President and the Prime Minister. A protracted and exceedingly bitter controversy on the subject of Soviet cooperation ensued between the majority of the press on one side and Davies on the other in which I fear unconsidered remarks were made and tempers almost lost. Davies adopted a violently pro-Russian attitude and as much as accused the correspondents of treason to their country and playing into the hands of Hitler by their “picking up pins, by their criticizing the Soviet Union, by their listening to criticism from subordinate officials”. Gilmore45 referred to the “Kick me, I like it, school of thought” in connection with the Soviet Union and asked whether Davies was an advocate thereof. Davies thereupon sermonized on the need for tolerance and for greater faith in Russia, on the countless complaints without naming them which the Soviets could make against us and on the great harm anyone would do his country if he presumed to criticize the Soviet Union. He interjected, [Page 653] however, that my statement of March 9 [8]46 had in the long run had a good effect but warned that “too much of this is not good”.
The atmosphere of the conference was very strained and hostile and on several occasions I feared that some untoward incident might arise. As an aftermath I understand that the correspondents here with few exceptions are up in arms against Davies and are questioning the wisdom of sending here a man with such intolerant views.
- For a detailed description of this press conference, see Admiral Ambassador to Russia, pp. 370–372.↩
- Brig. Gen. Joseph A. Michela and Rear Adm. Jack H. Duncan, respectively.↩
- Quentin Reynolds, war correspondent in Moscow.↩
- Gen. Henry H. Arnold, Commanding General, Army Air Forces; member, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Combined Chiefs of Staff of the United States and Great Britain.↩
- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Allied Commander in Chief, North Africa, since November 8, 1942.↩
- Eddy L. K. Gilmore, Associated Press correspondent in Moscow.↩
- See telegram no. 139, March 9, 7 p.m., from the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, p. 631.↩