Office of the Historian

811.79661/11–1945: Telegram

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

Washington, November 28, 1945—3 p.m.

2408. Reurtel 3897, Nov 19, repeated to Berlin as 155 and Warsaw as 60.

First. Dept appreciates receiving detailed info re interchange traffic at Berlin contained in your airgram A–313 Oct 29.16 Advice previously furnished had indicated that problem was being discussed at Berlin and that effective interchange had not been achieved due to failure secure Soviet participation in discussions. Dept concurs in proposed course whereby General Ritchie17 will not press for meeting with Astakhov18 as long as present service between Moscow and Berlin continues to work on satisfactory basis. This presumes that no further communication from Soviets re interchange has been received.19

Second. The routes over which the US desires to have its commercial air transport enterprises operate services are clearly stated [Page 927] in the opinion of CAB20 transmitted with Depts circular instruction July 12, 1945.21 Dept is endeavoring to conclude bilateral air transport agreements to permit the operation of these services with the Govts of countries involved (reurtel 3897). Negotiations are currently in progress with Govts of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Instructions have been issued to US members ACC22 for Germany and Austria to seek operating rights for US civil aircraft in those countries. Before regular operations by US carriers may be undertaken US law requires survey flights to be made and technical questions of operation settled. We have sought permission for such survey flights to be made even though negotiations for agreements have not been concluded. Pending the initiation of regular commercial air service the ATC22a has been directed to operate services in addition to those required for occupation purposes where necessary to maintain communication with US Govt missions. For this reason, this Govt has sought to obtain authorization for ATC flights Berlin to Warsaw and from Vienna to Budapest, Belgrade and Bucharest as well as authorization for PanAm23 survey flights thru the Balkans to Turkey.

Third: Dept understands Soviet Govt opposed to operation US aircraft over Soviet territory but would appreciate receiving a detailed statement of the efforts made by the Embassy in this connection including copies of correspondence exchanged for use if necessary in answering Congressional or other inquiries.24 (Re para 2 urtel 3897). It also appreciates interest of Soviet Govt in flights over territory in which Soviet troops are stationed. It has assumed that in ex-enemy states permission for operations of civil US aircraft should be obtained thru Allied Control Councils temporarily pending signing of peace treaties, It has no record of official Soviet opposition to flights of US planes over such territory but has been advised that Soviet members of Councils deny authority to grant permission without approval from Moscow. Dept does not understand to whom Vyshinski refers as “appropriate authorities” (reurtel 3887).25

[Page 928]

Fourth. It is apparent that no progress can be made until matter can be resolved with sufficiently high Soviet authority. Dept therefore desires you to reopen matter with Vyshinski vigorously. We desire reinstatement of a reasonable procedure for the clearance of ATC flights between Warsaw and Berlin and a similar procedure for ATC Balkan flights. (ReDeptels 2358 Nov 17 and 2387 Nov 23.)26 We desire a definite statement of Soviet position as to where authority lies to grant permission for flights of civil aircraft to Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria and with respect to Soviet agreement or opposition to these operations.

Repeated to USPolAd Berlin as Depts 952 to AmEmbassy Warsaw as Depts 301 to AmMission Bucharest as Depts 625 to AmMission Budapest as Depts 739.

Byrnes
  1. Not printed, but see telegram 3639, October 23, 5 p.m., p. 900.↩
  2. Brig. Gen. William L. Ritchie, Army Air Forces member of the United States Military Mission in the Soviet Union.↩
  3. Marshal of the Soviet Union Fedor Alexeyevich Astakhov, Chief, Civil Air Fleet of the Soviet Union.↩

  4. In despatch 2375, January 17, 1946, the Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) reported that a formal meeting was held between American and Soviet representatives on December 1, 1945, at which a draft agreement was submitted by the Americans. Although another meeting was scheduled for December 4, the Soviet representatives had it postponed and did not arrange to meet again in 1945.

    In the same despatch Mr. Kennan summarized the existing situation in these words: “The route via Berlin continues to be used by American and Soviet travellers on the same informal basis upon which it started—there being no agreement on the number of passengers and weight of mail and cargo which will be carried during a given period by either party on its sector of the route. Service remains in general barely satisfactory—a little better than on the old Tehran route—though one completely unsatisfactory aspect is the charge to American travellers from Berlin to Moscow which is based on an exchange rate between the ruble and dollar of approximately five rubles to one dollar making this air travel very expensive. It does not take into account the official status of many travellers who in Moscow would be entitled to the diplomatic rate of twelve rubles to the dollar.” (811.79661/1–1746)

    ↩
  5. Civil Aeronautics Board.↩
  6. Not printed.↩
  7. Allied Control Councils.↩
  8. Air Transport Command.↩
  9. Pan American Airways, Inc.↩
  10. Such a report was submitted in despatch 2375, January 17, 1946, from Moscow (not printed); received March 26, 1946.↩
  11. November 17, 1945, 6 p.m., not printed.↩
  12. Neither printed.↩