865.01/2198: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 15—12:47 p.m.]
855. Vyshinsky asked me to call on him this afternoon. When he finished the matter he had in mind I spoke to him again about the agreement which they had entered into with the Italian Government for exchange of representatives. As a matter of convenience and clarity I handed him a memorandum for his interpreter to read, and I left with him paraphrase of which is as follows:
“This morning I received advice that on yesterday afternoon Mr. Bogomolov informed Mr. Reinhardt of the agreement between Soviet Government and the Italian Government to exchange representatives, after the conclusion of the agreement and thus without giving the U.S. Government an opportunity to express its views on the matter.
Inasmuch as I feel certain that my Government will find it difficult to understand that, I desire to express to you my personal regret that the Soviet Government has considered it necessary to take a step of this character without consultation as I feel it will be considered not consonant with the spirit of our agreement to work together on the basis of mutual consultation on such matters as the Italian situation. I am not in expressing this view commenting on the desirability of the agreement itself. My remarks are addressed only to the manner in which the agreement was effected. Concern cannot help but be aroused in the minds of many people in the United States in respect to the cooperative understandings reached at the Moscow Conference when, as I believe is bound to happen, the fact becomes known that the Soviet Government took this step without consultation with the Government of the United States. I am expressing this personal view to you so that you may have before you for your consideration a knowledge of what I am satisfied will be the reaction in Washington and generally in the United States.”
Vyshinsky said that he could not understand why such a small matter would cause such great concern in the United States; that they had talked the matter over and decided that as it didn’t affect us in any way there was no need to consult us in advance. He said he was not informed whether Bogomolov had been able to get in touch with Reinhardt before he had concluded the agreement with the Italian Government. If he had not it was a matter of Bogomolov and Reinhardt being in different places.
I pointed out to him that I could not understand why the matter was of such urgency that Bogomolov could not have awaited not only an opportunity to see Reinhardt but also to give Reinhardt time to communicate with you.
[Page 1051]Throughout the conversation Vyshinsky tried in the most affable way to convince me that the matter was of small importance. Although he attempted to discuss the substance of the agreement I stuck entirely to the question of their failing to consult us in advance.
The British Ambassador had seen Vyshinsky previously on further instructions from his Government and had laid before him again the objections of the British Government and the adverse reaction this development would have in the House. Vyshinsky attempted to play the matter down with him as he had with me.
Repeated to London and Algiers.