Office of the Historian

093.612/54a: Telegram

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

Washington, April 8, 1944—4 p.m.

837. Reference your 440, February 10 and subsequent telegrams regarding decorations. The President has approved following policy regarding decorations agreed upon by the Departments of State, War and Navy:

  • “(a) That the Department of State be eliminated from participation in the handling of awards made by governments of cobelligerent nations and the American Republics to members of our armed forces;
  • (b) That officers and enlisted men of our armed forces engaged in transactions involving the allocation of Lend-Lease materials or credits to foreign governments be not permitted to accept such awards;
  • (c) That for the period of the war immediate awards from Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations should go only to members of our field or operating forces engaged with the enemy in active areas, and that awards covering services outside the field or operating forces should be held in abeyance until the end of the war;
  • (d) That awards conferred by American Republics or by any cobelligerent nation other than as specified in paragraphs (b) and (c) may be accepted without prior authorization from the War or Navy Departments;
  • (e) That when there is doubt as to whether an entity which desires to make an award is to be regarded as a cobelligerent within the meaning of the act of Congress, the War and Navy Departments will be guided by the decision of the Department of State.”

The above does not change the Government’s policy regarding decorations for civilian personnel.

With regard to decorations for General Connolly’s officers and men (your 1118, March 3136), the War Department states that it has no objection to the acceptance of foreign decorations by members of the Persian Gulf Command provided the prior approval of the theater commander is obtained.

You are authorized to inform Mikoyan of the War Department’s decision in the case of Connolly’s officers and men and to take appropriate steps after consultation with General Deane towards obtaining from General Connolly a list of officers and men for submission to the [Page 858] Soviet authorities. It is felt preferable that an official communication to the Soviet Government regarding our new policy on decorations be delayed until General Deane has received instructions from the War Department and that the Soviet authorities be informed in such a way as to provide for the implementation of paragraph (a) of the new policy in future cases.

Hull
  1. Not printed.↩