761.67/12–1145
The British Ambassador (Halifax) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Secretary of State: Mr. Bevin has asked me to let you know that while he is not inclined to put the question of Turkey on the agenda for the Moscow discussions,2 he will wish to discuss the question with you with a view to deciding whether anything should be said to the Russians and whether there is anything you and he can jointly do to encourage the Turks.3
[Page 1284]In informing me of the above, Mr. Bevin tells me that he has noted an appreciable intensification of the Soviet war of nerves against Turkey, but that, so far as he is aware, it has not been accompanied by any increased military preparations on the Soviet side. Nor have His Majesty’s Government seen any sign that the Turks are weakening in their opposition to Soviet demands.
Yours sincerely,
- For documentation regarding the meeting of the Secretary of State with the British Foreign Secretary and the Soviet People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs at Moscow, December 16–27, 1945, see vol. ii, pp. 560 ff.↩
- Ambassador Winant reported from London in telegram 13048, December 12, 8 p.m., that a Foreign Office official had spoken to him on the subject of Russo-Turkish relations, the gist of the latter’s remarks being that it was “very desirable that some sort of assurances be obtained from the Soviets that they will stop harrying the Turks and let a solution of the Straits question be solved through peaceful and friendly negotiations and without pressure and threats continually being applied to the Turks.” (761.67/12–1245)↩