500.CC/8–2144: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11 p.m.]
3096. Reurtel 1954, August 16, 8 p.m.87 I shall transmit additional information on the delegation to the International Security talks [Page 713] if it becomes available. It would be a serious mistake, however, to assume that the statements and actions of the Soviet delegates at the talks might be influenced to any appreciable extent by the personalities or individual views of any of the members of the Soviet delegation. Soviet policy and tactics on these matters will be decided almost exclusively in Moscow and in these decisions no personalities are likely to be of importance except those of the party leaders in the Kremlin.
It is obvious that none of the civilian members of the delegation has any personal influence in the policy-making organs of the Soviet Union and that they will be able to do little more than expound the briefs given them and report back to Moscow the views expressed by the British and ourselves. The military members are no doubt in the same position. The delegation may be expected to endeavor to obtain the maximum information and concessions from us and to give a minimum in return.
[Here follows comment on individual members of the Soviet delegation.]
- Not printed.↩