Byrnes-Molotov conversation, morning or early afternoon ¹

^1. The relationship of this conversation to the Byrnes–Molotov meeting of July 30 (see ante, p. 480) is not entirely clear. Byrnes, in Speaking Frankly, gives no summary of the July 30 meeting, and his summary of the conversation ascribed to July 31 in part duplicates the official minutes for the meeting of July 30. At the same time, the fact that there are certain portions of Byrnes’ summary of the conversation ascribed to July 31 which are not reflected in the official minutes of the July 30 meeting—particularly Byrnes’ statement that he and Truman would leave for the United States the next day—strengthens the presumption that another (and more outspoken) Byrnes–Molotov conversation actually did take place on July 31.

	Present 2
United States		Soviet Union
Secretary Byrnes		Foreign Commissar Molotov