Office of the Historian

861.20/599: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)

Washington, March 11, 1944—8 p.m.

557. Personal for the Ambassador from the Under Secretary. Have considered your 76123 and 80824 and have called it [them] to the attention of the Secretary. We feel these are British discussions and your presence in London would inevitably raise the whole question of Soviet participation in them. While the importance of the subjects you wish to discuss is well understood, the Secretary feels that it would be advisable for you to postpone discussion of them until it is possible for you to come to Washington. [Stettinius.]

Hull
  1. In this telegram of March 8, 1944, to the Acting Secretary of State, Ambassador Harriman explained: “I am considering whether it would not be valuable for me to fly to London for a couple of days while you are there to discuss the several urgently important subjects in our Soviet relations. I don’t feel I can afford to be away from Moscow long enough to go to Washington on account of the military questions being currently dealt with which require my presence whereas the short trip to London might be feasible.” (111.16 Stettinius, Edward R. Jr./151)↩
  2. Not printed.↩