855.01/82: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Hamilton) to the Secretary of State

1690. Reference Department’s 922, April 15, 4 p.m.,80 and Embassy’s 1449, April 6, noon.81 I have received a letter from Molotov dated [Page 36] May 1282 stating that the Soviet Government has no observations to make in connection with the concluding of the proposed agreements on the civil administration and jurisdiction of Belgian and Netherland territories. The letter continues that the Soviet Government has taken into consideration the statement made in Ambassador Harriman’s letter of April 17 to the effect that the draft agreements were prepared by the United States Government jointly with the Belgian and Netherland Governments and that those Governments were interested in the conclusion of the agreements in the nearest future.

Mr. Molotov’s letter continues that the Soviet Government has no observations to make with respect to the draft American-Norwegian agreement. Mr. Molotov states that the Soviet Government deems it necessary to bring to the attention of the United States Government that the Norwegian Government has approached the Soviet Government with a proposal to conclude a like agreement in the event that Soviet troops might participate in military operations in liberating Norwegian territory. Agreement has been reached at the present time between the Soviet and Norwegian Governments on the signing of such an agreement the text of which is identical with the text of the American-Norwegian draft. The Soviet Government would appreciate being informed of the opinion of the United States Government with respect to the signing of a Soviet-Norwegian agreement on civil administration and jurisdiction on Norwegian territory after its liberation.

A draft83 of the Soviet-Norwegian agreement in the Russian language is attached to Molotov’s letter. Upon comparison, this draft is in general identical with the American draft although it appears to be a somewhat loose translation. There are no differences in meaning. It contains one additional clause to the effect that the agreement enters into force immediately after its signature and that the agreement is drawn up in two copies in the Russian and Norwegian languages both texts having equal force.

Hamilton
  1. Not printed; it requested that Foreign Commissar Molotov be informed that the United States Government had drawn up agreements on civil administration with the Belgian and Netherlands Governments (855.01/78a).
  2. Not printed; it reported that Foreign Commissar Molotov had not yet finished his study of the civil affairs agreements with Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands (855.01/81).
  3. A copy in translation was transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 477, May 19, from Moscow; neither printed.
  4. Transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 477, May 19, from Moscow; neither printed.