861.002/12–1149: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State
priority
3085. Question of taking some action on governmental level to recognize 70th birthday Generalissimo Stalin December 21 (Embtel 3074, December 101) continues to agitate colleagues Diplomatic Corps. Understand Scandinavian missions expect their respective Prime Ministers will send message congratulations either direct or via mission chief. My British, French colleagues feel our three governments should concert action along similar line by sending message direct to Kremlin with each chief of mission sending cards to Foreign Office. Am not informed action contemplated by satellites or by fringe states, Korea, Outer Mongolia, etc.
What ceremonies if any Diplomatic Corps or western missions will be invited to attend still unknown with probabilities against any such, and likelihood no announcements until last minute.
However, in view general uncertainty among my colleagues as to procedure we in particular propose to follow, would appreciate Department’s decision at earliest.
Sent Department 3085. Department pass London 337, Paris 435.
- Not printed. The Embassy reported that the published announcement of the formation of a program committee to arrange ceremonies to mark the 70th birthday of Stalin (on December 21) had caused speculation among the diplomatic corps in regard to what kind of official messages of congratulations, if any, should be sent for the occasion. So far there was a lack of information on the extent of possible diplomatic participation. The Embassy suggested that whatever precedent there might be for the 60th birthday of Stalin in 1939 should be investigated, and that meanwhile a “suitable message from President to Stalin might be prepared and decision delivery postponed pending intervening development.” A chit attached to this telegram noted that a search of the Department’s files revealed no record of any congratulatory message having been sent to Stalin for his 60th birthday. It was also noted that the Protocol Staff did not believe that birthday greetings were sent to Stalin before about 1942. (861.002/12–1049)↩