711.94114 Supplies/171: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

1265. The Embassy does not regard the Soviet Government’s agreement in principle to assist in the measures set forth in the Department’s 319, February 16, 11 p.m., as necessarily including agreement that the Japanese Government be given the choice as to whether a Soviet or a Japanese crew should man the vessel while proceeding from a Soviet Pacific port to Japan. Reference also Embassy’s 822 March 13, noon. The Department’s telegram 319 states that “the ship would be taken on to Japan either by the Russian crew or by a Japanese crew to be sent from Japan to the designated Soviet port”. This language was followed in communicating the proposal to the Soviet Government. In the Embassy’s opinion the question as to whether the crew on that leg of the journey would be Soviet or Japanese still remains open so far as the Soviet Government is concerned. While it may not be advisable in case an inaccurate impression has been communicated to the Japanese Government to send the Japanese Government a correction at this time the Embassy desires to bring the foregoing observation to the Department’s attention.

Harriman