800.85/7–444: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
1613. From Berle. The Governments of the United States and of the United Kingdom have had under consideration the situation that will arise in regard to merchant shipping with the termination of hostilities in Europe.
By an exchange of notes, these Governments have concurred in the terms of a memorandum of principles and are presently discussing the language of a joint invitation to be presented and extended to the Governments of Norway, Holland, Greece, Belgium, Poland, France and Canada as a basis for discussion of common responsibility by governments in the continued control of all merchant shipping until a certain period after the war with Japan has ended.
In this connection, the United States and the United Kingdom Governments have discussed the position of the Soviet Government. Since the Soviet Union is not at war with Japan and has not participated in the shipping arrangements heretofore existing, it is believed that the Soviet Union should not be invited to participate at this time [Page 659] but should be informed of the proposed discussions. Accordingly, the United States Government has proposed to the Government of the United Kingdom that the Ambassadors of the United Kingdom and of the United States in Moscow shall make a joint statement to the Soviet Government to the effect that the arrangement now contemplated is an extension of the arrangements heretofore prevailing but that our two Governments have in mind the possibility that the Soviet Union may desire at a later date to become more intimately connected with these arrangements. In such situation, the two Governments will be glad to give sympathetic consideration to Soviet participation.
If the Government of the United Kingdom concurs in this proposal, you will receive instructions to proceed accordingly. Copies of the joint invitation to maritime nations and of the memorandum of principles are being transmitted to you for your information.27 [Berle.]
- Instruction 213, July 8, 1944, not printed.↩