811.001 Truman, H. S./9–2847: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Secretary of State
2939. Following is text of Molotov’s reply to my letter of September 25 protesting attack on the President.1
“Acknowledging the receipt of your letter of September 25, I must state that I do not consider it possible to enter into a discussion with you of the article of the writer B. Gorbatov in The Literary Gazette, as the Soviet Government cannot bear the responsibility for this or that article and, so much the more, cannot accept the protest you have made in that connection.
However, inasmuch as in your letter you decided to undertake a general evaluation of the Soviet press and from it is obtained a completely perverted picture of the situation, I must state my disagreement with your point of view on the Soviet press.
Despite your allegation, the Soviet press more than the press of any other country whatsoever, especially aims to elucidate broadly as possible the actual situation and true facts of the life of other countries, [Page 590] attaching special significance to the strengthening of friendly relations between peoples. This applies in full measure also to the United States of America, so that any move or approach of the government and statesmen of the USA directed toward the strengthening of normal relations between countries and toward the support of universal peace invariably encounters warm support in the Soviet press, and this is so generally known that it need no reaffirmation whatsoever. It is by no means possible to say regarding that American press which is so widely encouraged by the most reactionary circles in the USA and which not only from day to day inserts lying and slanderous articles regarding the USSR and its statesmen, but also inflames hostility between peoples, and which does not meet with any serious support whatsoever in the USA, which is of course, Mr. Ambassador, well known to you regarding which there are not two different opinions in international democratic circles.”
- In telegrams 2941 and 2946 from Moscow on September 29, at 10 a. m., and 7 p. m., neither printed, Ambassador Smith reported that the censors had not yet released the stories by correspondents about this protest. He suggested that the Department could show up the effect of censorship by releasing the letter and explaining the circumstance of the delay. The Department advised the Ambassador in telegram 1789 of September 29, 5 p. m., not printed, that even before his first telegram had been received the text of his letter of protest together with Foreign Minister Molotov’s reply had been released to the press at 12:15 p. m., on the 29th. (See Department of State Bulletin, October 12, 1947, pp. 743–744.) In his turn Ambassador Smith told the Department through telegram 2959 from Moscow on October 1, not printed, that the Soviet press had that day published the exchange of letters in full, with the statement that the correspondence had been published by the Department on September 29. In despatch 1678 from Moscow on October 2, not printed, it was reported that these notes had been clearly heard on the radio in Moscow on September 29, which was another scoop for the “Voice of America” audience.↩