870.01/11–1844
Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to the Deputy Director of the Office of European Affairs (Matthews)
Mr. Matthews: While I was in New York with Ambassador Gromyko in connection with the Soviet Rally,81 he and I had an opportunity for several long leisurely talks. One thing on his mind was the status of the three Baltic States—Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. He tells me that in 1940, all three states, by acts of their own legislatures, declared themselves as part of the Soviet Union and that these three are included in the present listing of the 16 Soviet Republics.82 He states that his Government has been mystified as to why our Government, under these conditions, continues to recognize these states as independent countries with Legations in Washington and the fact that their Ministers receive the status of an independent country. He is also bewildered over the activity of the nationals from these countries in the United States who are urging independence, when the act has already been taken.
I assured him that the Department would review the whole situation promptly. Would you please be good enough to have the proper officer of the Department prepare a memorandum on the whole subject in order that we can talk to the Secretary and to Mr. Dunn83 about it on their return to the office.
[Page 933]In addition, Ambassador Gromyko stated that the Estonian Chargé d’Affaires84 had several ships previously owned by that Government which he has been operating now as a personal project and which has become a very profitable personal business. This matter should also be investigated.
- A meeting of the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship was held in Madison Square Garden, New York City, on November 16, 1944, to celebrate the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1933. (See Foreign Relations, The Soviet Union, 1933–1939, pp. 1 ff.) For this occasion President Roosevelt sent a message to the Chairman, Joseph E. Davies, and the Acting Secretary of State made some remarks in person. See Department of State Bulletin, November 19, 1944, pp. 589–591.↩
- In regard to appeals by the legislatures of the Baltic States requesting incorporation into the Soviet Union, see Foreign Relations, 1940, vol. i, pp. 393–408, passim. For the law of August 7, 1940, adopted by the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union making changes in the constitution of the Soviet Union in consequence of the admission of new Soviet Socialist Republics, see ibid., vol. iii, pp. 216–217.↩
- James Clement Dunn, Director of the Office of European Affairs.↩
- Johannes Kaiv.↩