033.1161/7–1544: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
1710. Personal for the Ambassador. As you know Major General Philip B. Fleming, Administrator, the Federal Works Agency, has for some time been working on a program of public works construction for the postwar period. The President feels that this planning has now reached the stage where it would be valuable to study similar [Page 979] programs being developed in Great Britain and the Soviet Union and to exchange views with officials engaged in this work in those countries. The President proposes to send General Fleming to Moscow to arrive about the middle of August.86
Will you please speak with Molotov and inquire if the visit of General Fleming will be convenient to the Soviet Government at this time and request cooperation in arranging for General Fleming to meet the proper Soviet officials.
- General Fleming had proposed to the President in a letter of July 5 that such a trip “would be in the interest of the government”, to which the President agreed on the next day (033.1161/7–1544). General Fleming called on Under Secretary of State Stettinius on July 14 and informed him that “he had been requested by the President to go to Moscow to exchange views with the Soviet Government on the subject of post war public works.” (840.50/7–1444)↩