Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The British Commonwealth, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Volume III

811.79661/94: Telegram

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

Moscow, September 14, 1943—4 p.m.
[Received September 15—9:25 p.m.]

1351. As you know we now have before the Soviet Government two proposals for improving air communication between the United States and the Soviet Union. The first such proposal was presented on July 2, 1943, and envisages a service via North Africa and Iran in which the United States would operate the Washington–Tehran leg and the Soviet Union would operate the Tehran–Moscow leg. The Soviet Government has as yet given no indication of its attitude toward this proposal. The second proposal was presented on August 11 [12], 1943, and involves the operation by the United States of a service from Washington to Moscow via the Alaska–Siberia route and a reciprocal service operated by the Soviet Government. The Soviet Government has made no reply to this proposal. While I believe that the first proposal if accepted by the Soviet Government would result in some improvement in the situation I do not believe that it would meet all present needs.

I believe that relations between the United States and the Soviet Union are now so important that there is urgent need of prompt and regular communication between them.³⁹ I therefore consider that there is warrant now for establishing a direct governmental airplane service between Washington and Moscow with planes proceeding from Washington once every 2 weeks on a through trip to Moscow. The Soviet Government could of course be offered reciprocal rights in respect to operating a similar service from Moscow to Washington. I estimate that such a United States service from Washington to Moscofa and return would require probably two planes of the C–87 type.

The British Government regards the provision of air service for maintaining official contacts with British governmental representation here as an important part of the war effort. They are endeavoring to obtain Soviet assent to a previously existing service. I regard similar provision by the United States of air service as a definite part of the war effort.

I recommend that if the Soviet Government does not give at an early date a favorable response to our proposal for the establishment of a service via the Alaska–Siberian route the American Government press the Soviet Government for assent to the prompt inauguration of an official through service between Washington and Moscow as outlined above.⁴⁰

Standley

39. In connection with the making of special arrangements for Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko to present his letters of credence as Ambassador of the Soviet Union to the United States, see telegram No. 1219, August 29, 2 p.m., from the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, p. 569.
40. During a conversation in the Kremlin on December 25, 1943, at 7 p.m., Foreign Commissar Molotov handed to W. Averell Harriman, then the American Ambassador, a memorandum wherein it was stated: “In so far as the establishment of air communications between our countries along the route Moscow–Teheran–Washington is concerned there is no objection from the Soviet side to the renewal of conversations on this question between the representatives of the Chief Administration of the Civil Air Fleet of the U.S.S.R. and the corresponding American representatives in Moscow for the conclusion of an agreement on the basis of reciprocity.”