740.0011 European War 1939/624: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 29—4:46 p.m.]
655. I am informed in the strictest confidence that the Far East was not discussed during the Stalin–Ribbentrop conversations and that questions relating to the Balkan States and the Black Sea were only touched upon in general. I obtained the impression that the German Government considers the latter two questions as of direct and special interest to the Soviet Union to be decided by the latter as it sees fit. My informant stated that the Soviet-German agreement had been reached with a minimum of difficulty and that prior to the opening of the discussions Stalin had laid great emphasis on the importance of the establishment of a firm foundation for close and enduring relations between Germany and the Soviet Union and had intimated a common enmity towards Great Britain.