711.61/8–349: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
554. ReDeptel 544 Aug. 1. Following suggested as gen line of reply, shld Stalin again bring up question of Atlantic Pact and allege, as he did with Brit Amb, that it is directed against Sov Union.
If by this allegation he means to imply that the western countries are preparing for the launching of an offensive war against Russia, we consider such an allegation too absurd for serious discussion. We cannot believe that it can represent a sincere view of the Sov leaders who, we must assume, receive accurate reports from their reps abroad and are not deceived by their own propaganda. Not only is the mil disparity between East and West in Europe so great that any conceivable mil aggression cld only be in the other direction, but elementary acquaintance with the traditions and institutions of the Anglo-Saxon countries would suffice to reveal that it wld be quite impossible for even the most rash and aggressively-minded Govt, if such existed, to obtain popular support for the project of an aggressive or “preventive” war which wld require years of advance planning and might involve a protracted struggle.
If, on the other hand, Stalin means that there is a connection between the Atlantic Pact and the efforts that have been made to bring European countries under ill-concealed Sov domination by communist polit penetration, subversion and intimidation, that is another thing. He can hardly expect free and self-respecting peoples to submit to concealed Sov domination unless they have been deprived of all powers of resistance. As long as communist circles continue to demonstrate by actions as well as by words that is their purpose, they must expect the present and additional similar measures of self-protection on the part of their intended and proclaimed victims.
We on our part can only regard the accusations against us of aggressive intent as further proof of continued Soviet devotion to the basic purposes which its spokesmen have made so plain. Not sharing any similar aims which wld cause us to regard the destruction of the Sov regime as necessary or inevitable, our course is the clear and simple one of seeking to make Sov aggression too costly to be profitable. The Atlantic Pact is solely a step to this end, a purely defensive [Page 640] measure which is completely inoperative in the absence of aggression against one of the signatories. It is, however, only a part of the reaction of the peoples of the West to the efforts of Moscow inspired communists to subvert their govts, prevent econ recovery and restoration of normal peacetime conditions in Europe and thus destroy their confidence in themselves and force them to yield to outside pressures. It is a reaction which the threat of Sov aggression was bound to produce, as Amb Smith informed Stalin in Apr 1946, and a continuation of the Sov policies which create this threat will no doubt produce further evidences of consciousness among the western countries of the need for greater solidarity and unity among them.
As long as this situation prevails, it is difficult to see how discussion can contribute to the solution of our mutual differences.