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

861.24/1525a

The Assistant Secretary of State (Acheson) to the Lend-Lease Administrator (Stettinius)

Washington, June 7, 1943.

My Dear Mr. Stettinius: As you are aware, on June 9, 1943 the draft of the Third Soviet Protocol together with statements of the offerings from the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States will be formally transmitted to the Soviet Government for its consideration and acceptance through its representatives in London, Ottawa and Washington.⁹⁹

Since the Protocol and the statements of offerings are merely being submitted confidentially to the Soviet Government for study and comment, it is of course important that no publicity whatsoever be given to this event. I think you should know that we have informally given assurances to the British and Canadian Governments that this Government will give no publicity at all to the matter until the Protocol is finally signed in London at some later date.

Sincerely yours,

Dean Acheson

99. The draft was formally handed to the Soviet Chargé in Washington, Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko, on June 9, 1943.