740.00119 E. W./6–2645: Telegram
No. 298
The Ambassador in the United
Kingdom (
Winant
) to the Acting Secretary of State
6433. FonOff official made following comments after receiving note based on your 5097, June 23:1
Tentative position of FonOff, which must be approved by PriMin, is that it is willing to adopt parallel action with Dept on question of Control Commissions in Hungary, Bulgaria, and Rumania. Embassy in Washington has reported Dept’s attitude which differs from FonOff point of view that it is useless again to ask Russians for necessary radical steps to regularize position of Brit and AmReps on Commissions. However FonOff is willing to take measures parallel to [Page 394] those of Dept in making one more such request to Soviet Govt. Brit feel that, although Soviets would make minor concessions such as removing restrictions on Brit and AmReps and permitting more of our planes to go into those countries, Moscow would never allow itself to be maneuvered into position where Brit and AmReps would be able to outvote Soviets on matters dealing with reparations and requisitions. Sent to Dept as 6433; repeated to Moscow as 222.
FonOff will give us its considered views when they have been finally approved by Churchill.