840.811/7–2648: Telegram
The Chargé in Yugoslavia ( Reams ) to the Secretary of State
988. Good Yugoslav source has informed us Vyshinski1 will head Soviet Delegation Danube Conference. Source expressed hope US and UK fully appreciate political and propaganda implications conference and use Kremlin expects to make of it as illustrated by this appointment.
[Page 632]Designation Vyshinski plus report Pauker2 will head Rumanians does, in fact, reinforce our impression as reported Embtel 851, July 7 that Soviets will seek to extract maximum political advantages from conference while organizing technical aspects Danube navigation as incidental by-product.3
We have also learned USSR plans send 60 persons for conference riot all of whom may be officially accredited. This brings to mind another Vyshinski jaunt to another east European state at relatively critical point.4
Sent Department 988; Department pass Moscow 187; repeated London 151; Paris 136.
- Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.↩
- Mrs. Ana Pauker, Romanian Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
- The Department of State replied in telegram 423, Dudel 2, to Belgrade on July 29, 7 p. m., that it was inclined to believe that Vyshinsky would probably concentrate on activities not connected with the conference. If he should utilize the conference as a propaganda forum, Ambassador Cannon was instructed to “take firm and aggressive position in such debate”. (840.811/7–2948)↩
- Vyshinsky had made two journeys to Romania, in November–December 1944 and February–March 1945, when he intervened in Romanian Governmental affairs, which culminated in the establishment of the communist cabinet of Petru Groza on March 6, 1945. See Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. iv, pp. 257–282, passim and ibid., 1945, vol. v, pp. 486–528, passim. ↩