811.00B/1543a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bullitt)
202. Since recognition was accorded the Soviet Government the Department has followed the communist movement in the United States for the purpose of ascertaining whether the propaganda pledges contained in Mr. Litvinoff’s note to the President of November 16, 1933,55 are being observed. Furthermore, various individuals and organizations, such as the American Federation of Labor, have laid before the Department evidence tending to show violations of the pledges.
The Department believes that the following transactions, evidence of which seems indisputable, constitute such violations and in particular of the pledge covered by paragraph 4 of Mr. Litvinoff’s note.
- 1.
- The discussion of policies and activities of the Communist Party of the U. S. A.—the American Section of the Communist International—at the Thirteenth Plenum of the Executive Committee of the Communist International held in Moscow in December 1933, and the adoption by the Plenum of a program of activity (as contained in the Theses adopted) designed to apply to the United States. That this was the design is shown by the participation in the proceedings of the Plenum of representatives of the American Communist Party; by the provision contained in the program specifically stating that it is obligatory on all sections of the Communist International; and by the acceptance and endorsement of the program by the Central Committee and later by the Eighth Convention of the American Communist Party. Browder, one of the American delegates at Moscow and General Secretary of the American Communist Party, was active in securing this action.
- 2.
- The despatch of a message by radio to the Daily Worker, Central Organ of the Communist Party of the U. S. A., in January 1934 by the [Page 133] Presidium of the Executive Committee of the Communist International resident in Moscow urging that the Daily Worker “even more energetically become a real collective agitator and organizer of the workers’ struggle, carrying on a tireless struggle for the interests of the morking masses …56 becoming the standard-bearer in the struggle of the great masses of the American working class.” This was published in the Daily Worker of January 6, 1934.
- 3.
- The delivery of a report on the problems of organizing the revolutionary elements within the American Federation of Labor and on the work of the Trade Union Unity League—the American section of the Red International of Labor Unions—at an enlarged meeting of the Executive Bureau of the Red International of Labor Unions, held in Moscow in December 1933; and the distribution at the meeting of proposals pertaining to communist activities in the United States with respect to the “strategic task standing before us [Communists] …57 the conquest of the majority of the working class.”
- 4.
- The participation of two representatives of the Communist Party of the U. S. A.—Earl Browder and William Weinstone—in the proceedings of the Thirteenth Plenum of the Executive Committee of the Communist International held in Moscow last December.
- 5.
- The participation of a representative of the Communist Party of the U. S. A.—Earl Browder—in the proceedings of the enlarged meeting of the Executive Bureau of the Red International of Labor Unions held in Moscow last December.
While the above-mentioned incidents have not been specifically discussed with Mr. Troyanovsky, both Mr. Moore and myself have on different occasions informed him that there had been brought to our attention evidence of acts indicating that his Government was not carrying out the undertakings given by Mr. Litvinoff. In view of the approaching meeting of the Seventh World Congress of the Communist International, the Department considers that Mr. Litvinoff should be advised of the incidents referred to and informed that the occurrence of further acts of this nature will be detrimental to the development of the genuinely friendly relations between the two countries which the President and also Mr. Litvinoff, it is believed, hoped would flow from recognition. Mr. Litvinoff will undoubtedly appreciate that it will be difficult, if not impossible, for our Government to take steps to develop such relations unless the pledges of the Soviet Government are strictly observed. You should emphasize that, as Mr. Litvinoff is certainly aware, the American people are most sensitive with respect to interference from foreign countries in their domestic affairs and that our Government is hopeful that the Soviet Government will take appropriate means to prevent further acts in disregard of the solemn pledges he gave in its behalf.
[Page 134]I should be glad to have by cable an early report of your conversation with Mr. Litvinoff and by mail a copy of any informal memorandum you may leave with him.
I may add for such use as you may deem advisable that the Russian language Stenographic Report of the Thirteenth Plenum of the Executive Committee of the Communist International and the Russian language edition of Red International of Labor Unions No. 3–4 of February 1934 (pages 64 and 66), both of which are now in the Department’s possession, contain authentic basis for statements made above under numbers 1, 3, 4 and 5.
Please keep Department fully informed of developments in connection with the holding of the Seventh World Congress of the Communist International, agenda for which was published in Russian edition of the Communist International No. 16, June 1, 1934, particularly with respect to any acts that might be construed as constituting a violation of the pledges referred to above.