Office of the Historian

861.002/12–2149: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

confidential
Moscow, December 21, 1949—10 a. m.

3156. Sending following letter to Vishinsky December 21 (Deptel 924, December 151): “I have the honor on behalf of the Government of the United States of America to request you to transmit to Generalissimo Stalin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, best wishes on the occasion of his seventieth birthday”.2

Kirk
  1. Not printed. The Department of State herein told Ambassador Kirk that no congratulatory message had been sent to Stalin in 1939. However, in view of the extensive, official preparations under way this time, the Ambassador was now given discretion to deliver a greeting of best wishes for Stalin on instructions of his government. (861.002/12–1049)↩
  2. Ambassador Kirk informed the Department in airgram A–1268 from Moscow on December 29 that both Pravda and Izvestiya had printed this felicitation on the front page of their issues for December 25. He then remarked: “In this connection it may be of interest to note that the United States was, as far as can be ascertained from the Soviet press, the only government whose congratulations were expressed in a letter signed by its Ambassador, all others having been signed by Chiefs of State, Prime Ministers or Foreign Ministers.” (861.002/12–2949)↩