800.796/10–2644: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan)
2528. In a note delivered by the Soviet Ambassador today the Soviet Government informs United States Government that Presidium of the Supreme Soviet has refused to permit the participation of the Soviet Union in the International Conference on Civil Aviation on the grounds of the attendance of Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal. The reason given in the note is that these three countries have during the course of many years adopted a hostile attitude towards the Soviet Union and do not have diplomatic relations with the U.S.S.R. In a conversation this afternoon with Mr. Berle, the Soviet Ambassador said that he had nothing to add to the instructions he had received and he doubted personally if any suggestion that Soviet delegation to the conference should remain as observers or even to remain in the United States to exchange views with other United Nations’ delegates on aviation would be acceptable to his Government.
For your information. We are giving urgent consideration to a possible solution which will permit Soviet participation or at least avoid a public withdrawal by the Soviet Government from this conference, [Page 572] and instructions will be sent to you within 24 hours. In the meantime, please inform the Foreign Office that this Government is considering the question and request them urgently not to order the delegation to return to the Soviet Union until the instructions referred to above have been presented by you. According to our information the Soviet delegation should reach Minneapolis tonight and could remain there pending clarification of this issue.