767.68119/10–846
Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to President Truman 94
You will recall that on September 24 the Soviet Government delivered a new note to the Turkish Government with regard to the regime of the Straits. A copy of this note is attached.95 It reiterates the points previously made, emphasizing that the future regime of the Straits should be determined only by the Black Sea Powers and that a joint Turko-Soviet arrangement for the defense of the Straits should be made.
As you will also recall, we sent a note to the Soviet Government on August 19 (copy attached)96 stating our disagreement with these same proposals as they were advanced in the Soviet note of August 7 to Turkey. It is the feeling of the State, War and Navy departments that there should be no change in our position in this regard.
The underlying draft telegram to our Embassy at Moscow contains a further note to the Government of the Soviet Union. As you will see, it reiterates the stand previously taken. It has been approved by Secretary Byrnes and by the Secretaries of War and Navy. If you approve, we propose to dispatch it immediately to Moscow and at the [Page 874] same time inform the Turkish Government of our action. We will then transmit copies to all the signatories of the Montreux Convention and make the note public.
Our reason for following this procedure in sending the note direct to the Soviet Government is that the substance of our views seems directed more to the USSR than to Turkey. Further, we think it better to avoid the impression that we are secretly egging on the Turks and using them as a go-between. The reason for proposing publication of the note is that the press is deeply interested and if the views expressed by us are not published they will be the subject of intense and undoubtedly inaccurate speculation.
- Marginal notation by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Jernegan): “The original of this memorandum was seen by the President on October 8, 1946. He approved the draft telegram to which it refers, and the telegram was sent as the Dept’s. No. 1785 of Oct. 8 to Moscow. J.D.J.” Telegram 1785 is printed infra.↩
- See telegram 1035, September 26, 6 p.m., from Ankara, p. 860.↩
- See note to the Soviet Charge, August 19, p. 847.↩