Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume V

811.33/11–1249

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Webb)

[Washington,] November 12, 1949.

Participants:	The Under Secretary
	Mr. Vladimir I. Bazykin, Soviet Chargé d’Affaires
	EE—Mr. Reinhardt

The Soviet Chargé d’Affaires came in at his own request and spoke as follows:

“One out of the three icebreakers (the icebreaker ‘South Wind’) has already come out of the Arctic ice and can be transferred to the American authorities in one of the ports of Japan before December 1, 1949.

As far as the other two icebreakers—‘West Wind’ and ‘North Wind’—are concerned they have not yet succeeded in breaking through the heavy ice of the Arctic, which fact renders impossible the transfer of these two icebreakers in the current year.

However these two icebreakers can be transferred in one of the ports of Northern Japan in May–June of 1950. In case the ice situation in the Arctic permits piloting these two icebreakers before the date stated above, the Government of the USA will be informed regarding a corresponding advancing of the dates of transfer of the icebreakers.

Taking into consideration that on September 27, of this year there was signed an agreement about the transfer of the three icebreakers in the port of Bremerhaven (Germany), the Soviet Government is also ready to transfer the two mentioned or, if the United States Government wishes, all three icebreakers in the port Bremerhaven after piloting them through the Arctic from East to West during the forthcoming Arctic navigation season in 1950.”

I told Mr. Bazykin that we would have to discuss his communication with the Naval authorities who were principally concerned in this matter and that he would subsequently hear from us.¹

James E. Webb

1. On November 29 the Chargé of the Soviet Union was informed that the United States Government was prepared to accept the icebreaker South Wind immediately in the Japanese port of Yokosuka. In a conversation with Deputy Under Secretary of State Dean Rusk on December 6, Chargé Bazykin gave the information that the Soviet authorities would be able to return the South Wind at the port of Yokosuka not later than December 25.