711.94114 Supplies/171: Telegram

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

965. Department unable to follow Embassy’s interpretation as set forth your 1265 April 12. That part of the proposal regarding the possible operation of the ship by a Japanese crew between Soviet and [Page 1166] Japanese ports was incorporated in the Embassy’s note to the Soviet Foreign Office. Since the Soviet Government agreed to the proposal in principle without reservation it is reasonable to assume that the Soviet Government was aware of this aspect of the proposal and was not disposed to offer objection thereto. In as much as the Soviet Government’s agreement in principle to the proposal was based on the working out of the necessary arrangements between the United States Government and the Japanese Government it would appear that no further approach to the Soviet Government in this matter will be required until the views of the Japanese Government have been ascertained. As the Embassy is aware the Swiss Government was requested on March 30 to present this proposal to the Japanese Government.76

Hull
  1. See telegrams 1072 and 1073, March 30, to Bern, vol. v, pp. 1085 and 1087, respectively.