Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The Near East and Africa, Volume IV

868.01/422: Telegram

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

Moscow, December 26, 1943—4 p.m.
[Received 10 p.m.]

2325. The Greek Ambassador has advised me of the request made by his Government that his Prime Minister in his next broadcast to the Greek people be authorized to state that the three great Allies, the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union, approve of his appeal for unity among the resistance movements within Greece.

The Greek Ambassador told me that the British Government had approved and that you had also given your approval. The Soviet Foreign Office has informed the Greek Ambassador, however, that as they had no information as to Greek internal affairs, they did not consider it appropriate for the Soviet Government to become involved in them.

The British Minister⁷⁰ has advised me to the same effect with the addition that on instructions from Mr. Eden he had seen Molotov⁷¹ to convey Mr. Eden’s hope that the Soviet Government would accede to the Greek request and to state that you had given your approval.

I have received no information on this subject from the Department.⁷²

Harriman

70. John Balfour, Minister Plenipotentiary and Chargé d’Affaires of the British Embassy in Moscow.
71. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, Peoples Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.
72. Telegrams Nos. 66 and 67 to Ambassador MacVeagh, supra, were quoted to Ambassador Harriman on December 28 in Department’s telegram No. 1469, with the following instruction: “If you deem it advisable you may upon a suitable occasion advise Molotov of my message to Tsouderos. However, I do not believe it advisable to go any further. This refers to your 2325, Dec. 26, 4 p.m.”