740.00119 E.W. 1939/9–844: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
2177. While the Department does not consider it essential that the protocol quoted in your 3382 September 8 be signed at the same time as the armistice, it has no objections to the content of the proposed text. Pending the approval of the Joint Chiefs which it may not be possible to obtain before Tuesday,21 the Department cannot yet authorize [Page 229] you to agree to signature of the protocol on behalf of this Government.
The Department agrees that Article VI might more properly be included in the armistice itself, but would not be inclined to favor its inclusion in that document unless that could be accomplished without causing further delay in the conclusion of the armistice. Please say, without pressing the point, that we believe it would be preferable to omit the words “and particularly to the Soviet Union” from the last sentence of this article. You may mention in this connection that we are anxious not to raise any questions or make suggestions that might further delay the actual signing of the armistice, as we feel that prompt signature is of cardinal importance in enabling the Soviet authorities to stabilize the situation in Rumania and to dispel the confusion that is bound to exist until Rumania’s status is officially clarified.
- September 12.↩