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  4. Document 466

861.24/4–647: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union

secret   us urgent
Washington , April 7, 1947—6 p. m.

834. Personal for Smith from Acheson. Embtels 1201 Apr 5, 1216 Apr 6. Please tell Molotov this Govt prepared commence Lend-Lease settlement discussions either in Washington or Moscow, and wishes to fix earliest date possible. This Govt however would greatly prefer negotiations take place Washington and you are requested to use every effort so to arrange it.

Please work out with Molotov press announcement which should be made as soon as possible simultaneously Washington and Moscow.1

Acheson
  1. As a result of correspondence between Ambassador Smith and Foreign Minister Molotov, the latter agreed to Washington as the place for holding the lend-lease negotiations and designated Ambassador Nikolay Vasilyevich Novikov as negotiator for the Soviet Union. A joint announcement was soon agreed upon which was to be issued on April 14 at 8 p. m., Moscow time, and at noon Washington time. For text of this announcement, see Department of State Bulletin, April 27, 1947, p. 767.↩