Office of the Historian

811.79661/115

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)60

[Washington,] May 31, 1944.

Word has just come from General Arnold that the Soviet Government has granted the French the right to run airplanes to Moscow, the route being Algiers–Damascus–Tehran–Moscow. In return, the Soviet Government is to have the right to run a plane into Algiers every two weeks.

This for background in connection with the suggestion that we likewise ask for service into Moscow. It was General Arnold’s opinion that we can get the same thing if we are tough enough about it.

A[dolf] A. B[erle], Jr.
  1. Addressed to the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Grew), the Deputy Director of the Office of European Affairs (Matthews), the Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs (Bohlen), and the Chief of the Aviation Division (Morgan).↩