859.01/199

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. William C. Trimble of the Division of Northern European Affairs

Mr. Pares37 called on me this morning at his request and read me a telegram which had just been received from the British Embassy at Moscow via the Foreign Office to the effect that the Soviet authorities have again refused to participate in the proposed declaration on Denmark, giving the same reasons as originally conveyed to the British Ambassador and the American Chargé d’Affaires.

Mr. Pares also read me a copy of a telegram transmitted by the Foreign Office to the British Embassy at Moscow and repeated to the British Embassy here for its information. It was to the effect that the Foreign Office desires for important reasons again to approach the Russians with a modified statement on Denmark (copy attached38). The modified statement resembles the original except that all references to the King are omitted. The telegram added that Clark Kerr was instructed to consult with Mr. Harriman before making any approach to the Soviet authorities and to request Mr. Harriman to furnish the Department with the results of his conversation. Should the Soviet authorities again refuse to participate in the modified declaration, the Foreign Office desires to know whether or not a [Page 542] statement should be issued over the signatures of Mr. Hull and Mr. Eden alone and, if so, whether the Soviet authorities should be informed of the proposed action. Mr. Pares said that he would furnish me later in the day with a paraphrase of the Foreign Office cable.

I told Mr. Pares that I was naturally unable to furnish him with the Department’s views with respect to this latest proposal since the matter would have to be considered at a higher level. I added that it would be preferable to await Mr. Harriman’s telegram before reaching any decision on the matter and, hence, I doubted whether the Department’s opinion would be forthcoming today.

Mr. Pares expressed his appreciation of these circumstances and said that in the event the Department approved of the third approach to the Soviet Foreign Office would it be possible to instruct Mr. Harriman to participate in this approach. (I believe this suggestion was not contained in the Foreign Office telegram but represented Mr. Pares’ own views.) I told Mr. Pares that this matter would also have to be decided higher up.

  1. P. Pares, Second Secretary of the British Embassy.
  2. Not printed.