811.79661/73: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley)
490. Your 588, June 2, 3 p.m., and 648, June 12, 9 a.m. If the following meets with your approval you may take appropriate action with the Soviet authorities, otherwise communicate your views to the Department.
Regarding paragraph 1 of your 588. The possibility of establishing a “joint” American-Soviet company to operate an air service between the two countries via Africa and Iran presents difficulties probably involving considerable delay. First, Extensive negotiations might be required to obtain consent of third party countries en route. Second, Your preliminary reply to Molotov was correct in that service over this route is of important military character and any attempt to set up a joint quasi-commercial company possibly could not be justified at this time, particularly since Soviet participation along the entire route would add very little to the operations of our own Air Transport Command between the United States and Cairo or Tehran.
This Government is desirous, however, of entering into a definite agreement for regular service over this route, whereby the A.T.C. would operate between the United States and Tehran, connecting at the latter point with a Soviet service into Kuibyshev or Moscow.
With respect to paragraph 1 only of your 648. This has been cleared with our military authorities. The Department agrees with your detailed proposal, and the military authorities concur, with the following exceptions:
- 1:
- Agreeable.
- A.
- The service should be on a weekly basis in each direction with arrangements made for connections at Tehran on specific days. The service to be an official one only.
- B.
- Our previous informal agreement with the Soviets established accommodations for us on the basis of two to one and this practice [Page 672] should be continued. The Department suggests that space be reserved each week on planes in and out of Russia for two officers of the American Government, who may be couriers, plus their personal baggage. The weight of each of these passengers including their baggage to be calculated at 250 pounds. In addition, we request 750 pounds of mail and cargo space on each plane into Russia, and 500 pounds outbound, for the use of the Embassy. When weather or other factors disrupt plane schedules, then proportionately larger accommodations and more space should be provided on the next plane to take care of any accumulations.
- C.
- In return, A. T. C. planes will reserve space on each trip for one Soviet official, who may be a courier, plus his personal baggage. From Tehran to the United States we are prepared to reserve 375 pounds per trip for Russian cargo and mail, with 250 pounds reserved for this purpose on the return trip.
- D.
- If either government does not use its passenger space then it should have the privilege of utilizing that weight/space for mail and cargo purposes. In the event that there are neither passengers, nor mail nor cargo to occupy all the allotted space then each government agrees to release its unused space to the other, without obligation on the part of the recipient to release similar space on any subsequent trip.
- E.
- Agreeable, except that the schedule should be weekly.
- F.
- It is understood that the Soviet is receiving a large quantity of C–47 airplanes, and therefore it should be unnecessary for us to supply any additional aircraft for use on the Soviet sector.
- G.
- The Department concurs.
- 2.
- You may advise the Soviet authorities that the Department is deeply interested in concluding also an arrangement with the Russians for the Alsib route, since it would open up a new and more direct avenue of communication beneficial to both countries. For your strictly confidential information this phase is being discussed with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and we shall advise you further as promptly as possible.96