740.0011 European War 1939/33802
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Soviet Ambassador called at his request. He said that Mr. Molotov, in reply to my recent message urging that he take occasion to show some interest in further support of the Four Nation Declaration,29 agreed that it would be a fine and timely thing to do. I pointed out how Russia was suffering in the eyes of the American public on account of a number of acts which were being construed as unilateralism on the part of Russia, et cetera. I covered this whole field.
The Ambassador said that Mr. Molotov now sends me a reply to the effect that he sees no reason why Russia should come out at this [Page 855] time reiterating its support of the Four Nation Declaration, but that his Government would be willing for the United States, Great Britain and Russia to make a joint statement30 reiterating their interest in and their support of the Four Nation Declaration. I thanked him and said that I would think more about this matter in the hope that something could be done to break down the rising hostility to Russia on account of these small acts on her part which are being interpreted as a movement toward unilateralism. I made this full and clear by means of several illustrations. The Ambassador said he fully understood; that he would give the matter further attention and communicate again with Mr. Molotov.
- Signed October 30, 1943, at the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers; for text, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, p. 755.↩
- Some thought was given within the Department of State to the working out of a draft statement. A penciled note of April 7, 1944, by James Clement Dunn stated: “Mr. Secretary thought it was difficult to work out a draft at this time.” (740.0011 European War 1939/33802)↩