Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940, The British Commonwealth, The Soviet Union, The Near East and Africa, Volume III

711.61/739

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)

[Washington,] June 18, 1940.

The British Ambassador³⁵ called to see me today.

The Ambassador first referred to the conversation which he had had at the White House with the President and myself on the evening of Sunday, June 16, and in the course of which the Ambassador had referred to a message he had received from the newly appointed British Ambassador to Moscow, Sir Stafford Cripps.

Lord Lothian said that he now had received instructions from his Government supporting the point of view taken by Sir Stafford Cripps, namely, that while there was no indication that the Soviet Union was as yet prepared to break away from her agreements with Germany, there was a very clear indication that increasing apprehension existed on the part of Mr. Molotov and of the Soviet Government with regard to the unexpected German victories and the strengthening of Germany’s position vis-à-vis Russia as a result thereof. The British Government desired Lord Lothian to suggest that, inasmuch as Russia was believed to be very anxious to improve her relations with the United States, it would be most helpful if the United States would indicate to Russia its desire that the equilibrium in Europe be maintained and that closer relations between Great Britain and the Soviet would do much to accomplish such an end.

I said to Lord Lothian that I imagined that certain practical steps would have to be taken by this Government if the Soviet were to believe that we were sincerely desirous of improving relations with Russia, and I mentioned as being necessarily included among such steps the undoubted insistence of the Soviet that we make it possible for Russia to obtain all of the products within the United States that she desired without restriction, including machine tools, et cetera, which undoubtedly would be regarded as required by our own national defense program. I said that among other complaints recently made by the Soviet Ambassador was our advice to the oil companies not to furnish aviation gasoline and materials required in aviation construction to the Soviet,³⁶ as well as our unwillingness to permit Soviet agents to have free and untrammelled access to our factories and manufacturing plants. I said Lord Lothian would undoubtedly understand that it would not be the policy of this Government to satisfy Soviet desires in this regard under present conditions. Lord Lothian said he quite understood, and remarked that it was in the interest of Great Britain that we should not do so. I said that nevertheless I would discuss the matter with the Secretary of State and see if there was any way in which we could be helpful with regard to the British request.

S[umner] W[elles]

35. The Marquess of Lothian.
36. In a series of letters sent on March 26, 1940 (700.00116 M. E./148a), many firms were reminded that there had been “no change in the application of the policy” of the moral embargo in these matters, as the Secretary of State had announced on March 14; see memorandum of March 14 by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Controls, p. 255.