Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The British Commonwealth, The Far East, Volume VI

840.404/8–845

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State

[Extract]

[Washington,] August 8, 1945.

. . . . . . .

Mr. Novikov³⁸ then told me informally and not as an official communication that in ten minutes from now, at three p.m. Washington time, 10 p.m., Moscow time, Mr. Molotov³⁹ would make a declaration stating that Soviet Russia is in a state of war with Japan.⁴⁰ I asked Mr. Novikov when the state of war would take effect and he said “tomorrow”. I said, “That will evidently give the Japanese two hours to get ready.”

Joseph C. Grew

38. Nikolay Vassilyevich Novikov, Soviet Chargé.
39. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.
40. For statement handed by Commissar Molotov to the Japanese Ambassador in the Soviet Union, Naotake Sato, on August 8, see footnote 1, document 1382, Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. ii, p. 1474.