840.70/11–2244: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 23—11:35 a.m.]
4455. ReDepts 2682, November 15, 10 p.m. I have not been able to obtain any reactions from Soviet circles on the subject of Soviet attitude toward the EITO Conference.
The Department has no doubt noted the similarity of Soviet action in this case to the last minute refusal to participate in the Civil Aviation Conference.95 These two examples seem to point to the following conclusions:
- (a)
- that the Soviet Government is strongly reluctant at this time to bind itself to any arrangements for technical collaboration which [Page 882] would actually limit the freedom of action of its own authorities either in Soviet territory or in any territories under their military or administrative control;
- (b)
- that the Soviet Government is aware that if this attitude were to be widely publicized and understood abroad the effect on world opinion might be detrimental to Soviet interests;
- (c)
- that for this reason the Soviet Government will generally endeavor to avoid being placed in a position where it would have to go on record publicly and formally as the only country or one of very few countries refusing to enter into such arrangements for collaboration; and
- (d)
- that the Soviet Government will not hesitate to make use of political pretexts to avoid being placed in such a position if it sees no other alternative.
Since it seems that the Soviets are not prepared to undertake at this time general obligations for this type of technical collaboration and are resolved to reserve for themselves freedom to act as they see fit in each individual case, I see nothing to be gained by trying to devise special arrangements with a view to fitting them into an international organization for inland transport, particularly if this were to involve giving them the benefits of participation without requiring them to share the equivalent obligations. When the time comes for practical application of the agreement, if they are given the opportunity to collaborate in individual instances and if they find it to their advantage to do so, they will collaborate whether any legal basis exists for such collaboration or not. On the other hand, if they do not want to collaborate in a given instance no international arrangements will be really effective it [in] compelling them to do so.
While all the factors involved are not apparent here, I should think that the remaining countries represented at the Conference would do well to make the most effective agreement they can among themselves. They might, however, word the provisions of their agreement in such a way that if at any time, after the agreement has become operative, the Soviets should conclude that it would be advantageous to them to benefit by one or the other of the arrangements envisaged, it would be technically possible for the organization to extend such privileges to them on an ad hoc basis in return for equivalent concessions on their side.
[Repeated] to London as 266.