711.5622/4–1850
Oral Statement to the Press1
The American Ambassador at Moscow has presented to the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs the United States Government’s reply to the recent Soviet protest against an alleged violation of Soviet occupied territory by an American aircraft. The American reply corrects the distortions of fact which the Soviet Government has injected into the incident and puts the matter in its true light as an attack against unarmed Americans.
After investigation it has been determined that the facts of the matter are as follows: An unarmed American Navy plane with ten persons aboard was shot down by Soviet fighter planes over the open waters of the Baltic Sea. No survivors have been found despite an extensive search.
The Scandinavian Countries have been very helpful and cooperative in the humanitarian rescue work undertaken in connection with [Page 1149] the disappearance of this plane. The American Government is deeply grateful for their assistance, which has rendered possible the thorough search undertaken throughout the past week. By contrast, there has not been the slightest evidence of any concern on the part of the Soviet Government over the fate of our plane and its personnel. This seems an astonishing lack of common international courtesy and an unusual disregard for the loss of human life.
Moreover, the Soviet Government has thus far shown no sign of regret for its attack against an American aircraft. Instead, it has taken an aggressive tone and attempted to justify its action by impossible allegations. It has charged that the American aircraft fired first, when the American plane had nothing with which to shoot and was too slow a craft to attack fighters. Moreover, it has attempted further to confuse the issue with false propaganda claims and diatribes against the United States in the controlled Soviet press.
This attitude of the Soviet government shows clearly the insincerity of its oft proclaimed desire for peaceful relations with the United States and the non-Soviet world in general. The cause of peace is not furthered when the USSR ostentatiously decorates Soviet airmen in a manner calculated to give the impression that they are being rewarded for shooting down a defenseless American plane.
- This statement was made by Chief Press Officer of the Department of State Michael J. McDermott on April 18, 1950. See the Department of State Bulletin, May 1, 1950, pp. 688, 693. The text of the note of April 11 from the Soviet Union was also released, ibid., p. 668, and the note of this day in reply by the United States, ibid., pp. 667–668. The statement was sent in full to the Embassy in Moscow in telegram 329 on April 18. (711.5622/4–1850)↩