861.24/999: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 15—9:20 a.m.]
3908. Personal for the President. Maisky just came in to see me. He told me he had had a conference with the Prime Minister and Admiral Pound13 last night. Pound explained to him the losses suffered by the northern convoy and said he was opposed to continuing shipments over the northern route to Russia at this time. Maisky said he objected vigorously to this decision and was told by the Prime Minister and Pound that since many of our ships were involved the final decision would rest with us.
Maisky further told me that both he and his naval adviser do not feel that the last convoy was adequately protected or skillfully handled. Maisky was critical of Pound as an aggressive naval officer.
Maisky stated that he felt, at this time when Russia was under the greatest pressure and no apparent effort was being made here to establish a second front in time, that to discontinue the northern supply line would not be understood by his country and would be a serious mistake.
I have reported Maisky’s conversation as accurately as I have been able to record it immediately after his leaving the room. I felt that it should be forwarded to you at once without further checking by me because of other messages which have been cabled to you by the Prime Minister and because of Maisky’s statement to me that the Prime Minister and Pound told him that the final decision on the continuance or discontinuance of the convoys would be made by us.
- British Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley P. R. Pound, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff.↩