800.796/10–2344
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
The Soviet Ambassador98a said that he would head the Russian air delegation, and that the men who took part in the air conversations [Page 568] before would be here as delegates except that General Petroff was not coming. He asked about the general organization of the Conference and I told him about the four committees. I also said that I would ask the office to send over the probable committee set-up as we would propose it.
The Ambassador asked whether we had any further information beyond what he already knew. I told him of the difference in opinion between the British and ourselves relating to world organization; and gave him the same general picture of the situation which we have been giving to everyone.
The Ambassador said he was entirely at our disposal if we wished to consult further before the Air Conference. He said it was his view that the Allies should cooperate in this Conference. I thanked him and said I would take advantage of that at an early opportunity. His general manner intimated that he hoped that we would have close working relations in this Conference.
At the close of the interview I told the Ambassador that the British had already opened negotiations to explore a method of compromise between their position and ours. The Ambassador asked what the reply was, and I told him that we had stuck on an international organization which should be consultative and fact-finding, and possibly even recommendatory, but that we were not prepared to go any farther than that, and indeed could not.
“In other words, you are staying on the same position you took during the conversations,” said the Ambassador. I said we were.
- Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko.↩