740.00119 PW/8–2845: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to President Truman 45
M 25432. As I had an engagement to see Stalin this evening I handed him your message of August 27 regarding landing rights in [Page 696] the Kuriles.46 After it was translated to him, he questioned me about some of the points. Sticking to the text of your message, I explained on a map the reasons why landing rights were of importance. He said that he now understood the reasons for the request, would consult his associates and then reply. He told me that he had understood your first message to mean that a permanent fortified military base was requested which penetrated the Soviet outer defenses. I got the impression that he considered landing rights during the occupational period as being reasonable, but I got no impression as to his reaction on the permanent facilities for commercial use.
I then discussed the question of the Soviet Government making a public statement supporting the Open Door Policy in Manchuria, to which he readily agreed. I have reported this in detail to Secretary Byrnes.47
Stalin was quite cold at the beginning of our talk, but as it progressed he became entirely cordial and kept me for over an hour talking about the procedure that General MacArthur was pursuing for the Japanese surrender and other matters of general interest. I will report this more fully in the morning.48