Office of the Historian

711.61/6–145: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)

Washington, June 1, 1945—6 p.m.

1193. Late press ticker report states that in talking to four Congressmen yesterday I had told them that the State Department was “leaning over backwards” to avoid offending Russia. Needless to say, I did not make this statement but I did say to the Congressmen that we had been meticulous in keeping Moscow informed of every step which was of interest to the Soviet Government. The rest of the story given out by the Congressmen seems to be fairly accurate and will probably be helpful.1

Grew

[For a study entitled “Possible Resurrection of Communist International, Resumption of Extreme Leftist Activities, Possible Effect on United States” by the Special Assistant, Raymond E. Murphy, to the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Matthews), see annexes to memorandum of June 27 by the Acting Secretary of State to President Truman, printed in Foreign Relations, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, volume I, pages 267–280.]

  1. See the New York Times, June 1, 1945, p. 11, col. 7, and June 2, 1945, p. 9, col. 2.↩