195.2/3649⅛
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Henderson)
The Soviet Ambassador telephoned me today in order, as he said, to bring to my attention a new series of difficulties which the Soviet Government [Page 249] was encountering in connection with its endeavors to carry on commercial relations with the United States.
Soviet purchasing and shipping organizations in this country were encountering difficulties and obstacles in connection with their efforts to charter vessels for the purpose of transporting Soviet purchases made in this country to the Soviet Union. The Ambassador said that he wanted, particularly, to draw the attention of the Department of State to the case of the steamship Ogon, which had been chartered by the Amtorg Trading Corporation on December 30, with the hope that the Department may give some assistance in the matter. This vessel apparently was operated by the Intercoastal Packing Company and was scheduled to leave Seattle around January 25.
I asked the Ambassador what was the precise nature of the difficulties. He replied that he was sure that if the State Department took up the matter with the Maritime Commission it could obtain all the details of the case, since the Maritime Commission must be acquainted with them. He added that he hoped that steps would be taken so that it would be possible for the steamship to sail at a date not distant from that scheduled.54
- During a telephone conversation with the Soviet Ambassador on February 2, Mr. Henderson told him that his inquiry had been taken up with the appropriate authorities, but that as yet there was no answer to make (195.2/3649 4/8). For the eventual reply, see the memorandum of March 14 by Mr. Henderson, p. 253.↩