751.61/6–1546: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Acting Secretary of State
urgent
[Received June 15—10:15 a.m.]
2888. A reliable and friendly Foreign Ministry official tells me in strictest confidence that in the past three days Bogomolov18 has made occasion to call on Chauvel19 and Schneiter20 (Bidault has been too busy in effort to form government21 to see him at length) to impress on them certain aspects of the Russian position relating to the coming meeting of the Foreign Ministers.
In each case Bogomolov began by stating that Russia, more than any country in the world, sincerely desires peace and the organization of an effective international society. To this end Soviets have, in their dealings with Anglo-Saxon powers, shown a real desire and willingness to compromise. It now seems unfortunately evident that this spirit is not reciprocated and on the contrary it is clearly evident that an attempt is now being made to encircle Soviet Russia. This attempt will be resisted everywhere with all Soviet strength. Specifically, according to my informant, Bogomolov said that Trieste must be Yugoslav; that any efforts to reinstall reactionary regimes in Balkans would be resisted to the end; that with revision of existing Austrian occupational regime by AC Vienna, discussion of the Austrian question by the CFM seemed unnecessary; and that insofar as Germany was concerned the French should not count on the Soviets to support French desire to discuss in detail German question. (In connection with latter point, while French Communists have strongly supported Bidault’s German policy, for obvious reasons, including expectation that Bidault will not oppose Moscow in certain matters, Moscow has as yet failed to give the French a single hint on what Moscow really intends to do in Germany).
As a result of Bogomolov’s line, Quai d’Orsay is pessimistic over outcome of present CFM meeting since “the Russians are giving appearance of being much more intransigeant than at the last meeting where they went to great lengths to convey impression of willingness to compromise”. Despite pessimism, my informant does not exclude possibility that Bogomolov’s act may be part of devious Russian [Page 509] maneuver designed to soften up opposition for bargaining purposes. Sent Dept 2888; repeated London 419; Moscow 219.
- Aleksander Yefremovich Bogomolov, Soviet Ambassador in France.↩
- Jean Chauvel, Secretary General of the French Foreign Ministry.↩
- Pierre Schneiter, French Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩
- On June 11, the French Constituent Assembly convened, and Felix Gouin, President of the French Provisional Government, resigned. On June 19, the Constituent Assembly elected Georges Bidault to become President of the Provisional Government. In the new French Cabinet formed on June 24, Bidault retained the post of Foreign Minister.↩