711.61/970: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:47 p.m.]
86. For the President and the Secretary. Supplementing my No. 69, January 9, 2 p.m., describing our current controversy with the Soviet authorities over their inaction on our military proposals, I have a letter from Molotov stating that the military authorities have given instructions to deal with the matters we have up. As a result, General Deane, for the first time, was called over yesterday by an officer of the General Staff. On all previous occasions, Deane’s talks have been on his own initiative. There was a distinct change of attitude and about a dozen subjects were satisfactorily disposed of, perhaps the most important being full agreement to allow General Cannon11 on his visit to Russia to study Soviet experience in air support of ground operations. Deane was told, however, that they were not yet ready to discuss the subjects covered by your memoranda given to Stalin at Tehran, including the military proposals submitted at the Moscow Conference.
I am encouraged by the above, but am satisfied we still have a fight ahead to get the cooperation to which we are entitled.
- Maj. Gen. John K. Cannon, with the United States Army abroad.↩