Office of the Historian

782.022/12–2050: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union

top secret
Washington, December 20, 1950—8 p. m.

427. As defensive peace-time measure Turks contemplating controlled mining of Straits by moored mines on bottom Bosphorus controlled from harbor entrance post.1 When not energized mines wld constitute no menace to navigation and eld be crossed at any point without pilotage. Mines breaking loose wld be sterile and wld not endanger passing vessels. Under such conditions both US and UK agree project wld not constitute infraction Montreux Convention.2 When expressing legal view to Turks last June,3 UK discouraged implementation on grounds (1) freedom of passage might be restricted by inevitable knowledge existence mines and thus involve Turks in polit and legal controversies arid (2) maintenance requirements make it undesirable lay mines unless and until Turks think there is imminent danger war. Now appears unlikely Turks will proceed with project unless UK concurs in principle to laying of mines.

Mining project strongly supported by US Mil Mission Turkey (Mines wld probably be supplied under MDAP program.) and US Navy Dept because of value as defensive measure and as aid to detection submerged Soviet subs transiting Straits.

Dept seeking formulate own position before approaching Brit re concurrence in principle or urging Turks proceed and therefore requests ur views re probable Soviet reaction to mining project.4

Webb
  1. For documentation in regard to the proposed placement of controlled mines by Turkey in the Bosphorus, see vol. v, pp. 1224 ff.↩
  2. The convention was signed at Montreux, Switzerland, on July 20, 1936. For documentation about the conference on the straits between June 22 and July 20, see Foreign Relations, 1936, vol. iii, pp. 503 ff. For the text of the convention, Bee League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. clxxiii, p. 213. See also Department Of State, The Problem of the Turkish Straits, Publication 2752, Near Eastern Series 5 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1947).↩
  3. The reference is to a British aide-mémoire of June 19 which was enclosed in despatch 113 from Ankara on August 29; not printed.↩
  4. See telegram 1227 from Moscow on December 22, p. 1281.↩