Office of the Historian

740.00116 P.W./1–2646: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the Secretary of State

secret
Moscow, January 26, 1946—6 p.m.
[Received January 28—1:11 p.m.]

257. ReEmbs 213, Jan 24, noon.11 Was called to FonOff today by Acting Chief of American Section12 who wished to talk further about Japanese war criminal trial. He said Soviet representatives (Embs 173, Jan 18, 5 p.m.) were ready to proceed to Tokyo at any time but before sending them Soviet Govt would like to have further information as to our plans for charter of court. Did we envisage that this would be identical with that of Nuremberg trial? If not, in what respects would it differ? I pointed out that it was to be one of functions of international prosecution section to prepare charter and that our people doubtless hoped for the early arrival of Soviet representatives in order that this question could be discussed with them. To this he replied that if we insisted that their presence was necessary to complete this discussion and could give them no information here in Moscow at this time, they would send their people anyway. But he emphasized that they would much prefer to receive some indication of our intentions with respect to Charter before their representatives left Moscow.

Since Soviet representatives will presumably be held here until something further is heard on this subject, I hope Dept will be able [Page 398] to let me know at once what I may tell Soviet authorities on this point.

Incidentally, I was told on this occasion that Tsarapkin, head of American Section, has gone to Korea.

Kennan
  1. Not printed; it reported that action was taken in accordance with Department’s instructions (740.00116 PW/1–2446).↩
  2. Konstantin Alexandrovich Mikhailov, Chief of the Latin American Section, was acting at this time.↩