800.85/8–1144: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:25 p.m.]
2946. Reurtel 1669, July 11, 8 p.m.42 In a letter dated August 10 the Foreign Office states that the question of the use of merchant vessels after the termination of European hostilities for discharging the tasks of the United Nations interests the Soviet Union to a considerable degree. The letter states that since however according to information received from the British Government an agreement on the question of the use of the vessels after the termination of the war has already been signed in London on August 5 by the appropriate governments, the Soviet Government has in mind setting forth its considerations on this question after it has received and studied the text of the Agreement of August 5.
The British Ambassador has informed the Foreign Office, with reference to the remarks of the Soviet Counselor in London (London Embassy’s telegram 79, August 4, 7 p.m.43) that as the Counselor has already been informed, in view of the far reaching obligations incurred by the contracting governments and of the fact that Soviet Government had not hitherto contributed ships to the pool, the British and United States Governments had thought it preferable not to issue a direct invitation to the Soviet Government to accede, if and when they so desired [sic], and that such accession would naturally be welcomed.
Sent to Department. Repeated to London as 136, August 11, 2 p.m.
- Not printed; it transmitted the text of the note quoted in telegram 5383, July 7, from London, p. 661, and authorized Ambassador Harriman to join the British Ambassador in presenting it to the Soviet Government (800.85/7–444).↩
- See London’s telegram 6242, August 4, 7 p.m., to the Secretary of State, p. 675.↩