811.7461/20: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10 p.m.]
1051. In the course of a conversation with Hamilton25 on another subject Vyshinski said he would be grateful for anything the Embassy could do to facilitate the conclusion of the negotiations for the establishment [Page 684] of direct radio telephone service between the Soviet Union and the United States.
Vyshinski was informed that the Embassy’s last record of the negotiations was that some difficulty had been encountered because of the desire of the Soviet Government that the agreement be signed by the United States Government rather than the company concerned.26 He replied that the Soviet Government was prepared to conclude the agreement with the company but that the present difficulty had arisen over the classification of conversations as between what constituted private and governmental calls. He said there was no difficulty on the Soviet side but that the American company could not itself decide the question, which is a matter of American governmental regulations and it apparently had been unable to obtain a decision from the Government.27
Vyshinski was informed that the Embassy would endeavor to ascertain the present status of the matter.
- Maxwell M. Hamilton, who became Counselor of Embassy with the rank of Minister on July 22.↩
- The arrangements were being discussed with the Long Lines Department of the American Telephone and Telegraph Co., New York, N.Y.↩
- In telegram No. 706, August 17, 9 p.m., the Department replied that, with regard to the classes of calls to be allowed, “it is not believed that there will be any particular difficulties in reaching an agreement with the Soviet authorities with regard to this matter.” 811.7461/20)↩