870.00/7–144
The Department of State to the Soviet Embassy
Memorandum
In its aide-mémoire of July 1 the Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics reviewed the conversations which have taken place at London concerning the positions of the Soviet and British Governments in taking the lead in Rumanian and Greek affairs, respectively. The Embassy states that the Soviet Government deems it necessary to subject this matter to additional study, in view of Mr. Eden’s statement to the Soviet Ambassador at London on June 19, in which he gave a new outline of the arrangement, mentioning the Government [Page 131] of the United States as associated with the British proposal if it should not go beyond the limit of the present circumstances and should not bring about the division of the Balkan countries into spheres of influence; Mr. Eden added that it was now suggested to set a three months’ trial, after which the question would be again considered by the three Governments. The Embassy then states that the Soviet Government desires to be acquainted with the point of view of this Government.
It is correct that the Government of the United States assented to the arrangement, for a trial period of three months, this assent being given in consideration of the present war strategy. Except for this overriding consideration, this Government would wish to make known its apprehension lest the proposed agreement might, by the natural tendency of such arrangements, lead to the division in fact of the Balkan region into spheres of influence.
It would be unfortunate, in view of the decisions of the Moscow Conference,8 if any temporary arrangement should be so conceived as to appear to be a departure from the principle adopted by the three Governments at Moscow, in definite rejection of the spheres of influence idea. Consequently this Government hopes that no projected measures will be allowed to prejudice the efforts toward directing the policies of the Allied Governments along lines of collaboration rather than independent action, since any arrangement suggestive of spheres of influence cannot but militate against the establishment and effective functioning of a broader system of general security in which all countries will have their part.
It is supposed that the three-month trial period will enable the British and Soviet Governments to determine whether such an arrangement is practicable and efficacious as applicable only to war conditions and essentially related to the military operations of their respective forces, without in any way affecting the rights and responsibilities which each of the three principal Allies will have to exercise during the period of the re-establishment of peace, and afterwards, in regard to the whole of Europe.
Finally, this Government assumes that the arrangement would have neither direct nor indirect validity as affecting the interests of this Government, or of other Governments associated with the three principal Allies.
- For correspondence regarding the Tripartite Conference of Foreign Ministers in Moscow, October 18–November 1, 1943, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, pp. 513 ff.↩