740.0011 European War 1939/17529a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston)
1289. 1. Unless you perceive some objection thereto please ascertain from the British Embassy how long Cripps and Eden intend to be in Moscow.83 State that you have been instructed by your Government to maintain close contact with Cripps and Eden in order that you may be able to keep your Government currently informed regarding matters discussed which might be of interest to it.
2. If you find that Eden and Cripps will be in Moscow for several days longer, please endeavor to proceed there at once taking with you a confidential code and, if you consider it advisable, a code clerk. You may remain in Moscow as long as Cripps and Eden are there and may return with or without them as you may deem advisable upon the close of discussions.
3. In informing the Foreign Office of your desire to go to Moscow make it clear that you are going there under instructions as an observer for the American Government which has a natural interest in the British-Soviet discussions.84
4. In case it would appear that the conversations may terminate so soon that a trip to Moscow would serve no useful purpose, please ask the British Embassy to arrange for you to obtain information relating to the conference which might be of interest to your Government. You may also make a similar request of the Foreign Office.
[Page 197]5. It would seem only natural to correspondents and other curious Americans for you to go to Moscow at this time in order to inspect the condition of the Embassy and to confer with members of the staff there.
- The British Foreign Secretary arrived in Moscow on December 16 and left during the evening of December 22, 1941.↩
- Thurston informed Assistant People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyshinsky that he intended to go to Moscow on December 18, 1941, and of his purpose to receive such information as possible about the British-Soviet discussions, which Vyshinsky approved.↩