500.CC/3–545: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:35 p.m.]
632. ReDepts 477, March 3, 2 p.m.13 I informed Molotov on March 4 that my Government would release and issue the invitations [Page 107] to the San Francisco Conference on March 5, noon. I stated that the text of the invitations would be that contained in the Department’s 406, February 23, midnight,14 unless we were advised before noon, March 4, of the willingness of the French Provisional Government to join as a sponsoring nation as a result of conversations which I understood were proceeding between the Soviet and French Governments on the matter.
In reply I received this morning a note from Molotov dated March 5 stating that the Soviet Government continued to support the form of invitation which was worked out in the Crimea Conference as described in my letter and that it had no objection to the date of issuance.
Molotov continued that no special conversations had been carried on between the Soviet and French Governments on this matter, although the following had taken place:
General Catroux had called on Dekanozov15 last evening and had been informed of the Soviet position with respect to the amendment to the second paragraph of the invitation as proposed by the French Government. The Soviet Government could not agree to the amendment for the reasons set forth in my 605, March 2, 6:00 a.m., and also because it was undesirable to weaken the Dumbarton Oaks decisions which were made in the interests of postwar security. Catroux then expressed the personal wish that the time set for the final reply of his Government be extended somewhat in order that his Government might find it possible to give a definitive reply, it only having received from him preliminary information on the question. Although Dekanozov could not give a final answer to this request, Molotov stated in his letter that there were no objections on the part of the Soviet Government if the United States and British Governments should agree to postpone the date of issuance and release of the invitations one or two days.
Upon the receipt of the Department’s 497, March 4, 4:00 p.m.,16 I informed Molotov this morning that we were proceeding to release and issue the invitations today at 12 noon and stated that my Government assumed that the Soviet Government would simultaneously release the text in Moscow. I also gave Molotov a general outline of the Department’s press statement17 regarding the position of the [Page 108] French and of what the Acting Secretary intends to say for background only and not for attribution regarding Poland.18
Sent to Department as 632, repeated to London as 94, to Chungking as 10, and to Paris as 31.