861.51/3043: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
999. Your 1297 April 15.72 During the past 4 months there have appeared periodic news stories reporting the formulation of plans to sell approximately a billion dollars worth of goods a year to the [Page 1079] Soviet Union for the first 10 years after the war. Some of these reports have contained the erroneous statement that there was a secret Soviet trade mission here negotiating for this business. The origin of these reports is not known.
The Department has recently learned, however, that the various firms have been discussing with Amtorg73 or the Purchasing Commission plans for postwar exports to the Soviet Union. It is known that Dupont is on the point of signing a technical assistance contract for the manufacture of synthetic rubber which calls for a minimum payment of $400,000 a year, and the Standard Alcohol Company concluded a contract with the Commissariat for the Rubber Industry which calls for a minimum annual payment of $82,000. Westinghouse is negotiating with the Purchasing Commission for the sale of two aviation engine testing units costing $3,100,000 which are to be delivered in about 1946. It is also known that General Electric, International Standard Electric and RCA are also discussing postwar trade with Soviet officials here.
It is possible that information regarding these negotiations has inspired the various news reports on postwar Soviet trade.