861.24/8–1049
Memorandum by the Country Specialist in the Division of Eastern European Affairs ( Truesdell ) to the Associate Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs ( Hooker )1
In opening the meeting with the Soviet experts this afternoon you may wish to refer to the Soviet Ambassador’s note of July 22, 1949 (copy attached)2 advising this Government of the appointment of Rear Admiral Piterski and Captain Second Class Vanyukin “as experts to discuss with experts of the United States of America the dates and procedure for the return of 3 icebreakers and 28 frigates received by the Soviet Union under lend-lease”. You might then state that [Page 723] for purpose of discussion the U.S. side has prepared a proposed agreement on dates and procedures which it is hoped will be acceptable to the Soviet side—copies of the proposed agreement will be available for distribution at the meeting.
Should the Soviet representatives at the outset state their desire to include discussion of the purchase of other Naval craft or modification of the list of 186 other craft which we have demanded be returned, it is suggested that you recommend that discussions be directed first to the frigates and icebreakers since the Ambassador’s notes of July 22 and June 26 stated specifically that the Soviet experts would be appointed to discuss these vessels, and since there is no question as to the necessity for the immediate return of ail vessels of these types. You might state that the U.S. requests for the return of these vessels have been outstanding for the longest periods and therefore it appears well to dispose of this matter at the outset.
Should the Soviets state that the return of other craft must be coordinated with the return of the icebreakers and frigates for operational reasons, we might then agree to discussion also of the 186 craft listed for return in our note of October 7, 1948.
Should the Soviets continue to persist in widening the discussions to include modification of the list of 186 other vessels listed for return, there would appear to be no alternative but to request Soviet proposals in this respect and state that the matter must be referred to Mr. Webb and Mr. Thorp. In this connection, the Soviets might be asked to provide the information as to the status of the remaining vessels as promised in the Soviet note of December 9, 1948. This information consists of a statement of the general condition by hull number of each vessel capable of being returned to the United States. Certified reports of the destruction of vessels not capable of being returned was also promised.
Should the Soviet representatives agree to discuss the icebreakers and frigates separately without reference to the other vessels and should the detailed arrangements for the return of these craft be agreed upon it will then be possible to suggest that discussions be held with respect to return of the balance of the vessels requested in our note of October 7, 1948. In this connection the Ambassador’s note of December 9, 1948 stated that “the Soviet Government would deem it expedient that Soviet and American experts discuss both the terms of sale to the Soviet Union of a certain number of these vessels (naval craft other than frigates and icebreakers), as well as the procedure and dates for the return to the United States of the balance of these vessels”. Should the Soviets agree to discuss the procedure for return of the 186 vessels the same procedure may be used as was used in connection with the icebreakers and frigates.