740.00112A E.W./11–244
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan)
The Secretary of State quotes below a public statement issued by the Department on September 26, 1944:
[Here follows quoted portion of circular telegram dated September 21, 4 p.m., printed on page 188.]
A similar statement was issued by the British Government on the same date and was cabled by the Ministry of Economic Warfare to the British Embassy at Moscow on September 13 with instructions to the Embassy to approach the Russian Government and to inquire whether it would be prepared to agree to refrain from any dealings with persons or firms which the British Government desired to keep on the Statutory List after the conclusion of hostilities. The British Embassy in its Arfar 64 of September 27 to the Ministry reported receipt of a letter signed by Vyshinsky95 stating that the Soviet Government has no objection in principle to the terms of the public [Page 194] announcements but that at the same time they expect that the British Statutory List, which will be effective after the termination of hostilities with Germany, will be agreed with the government in advance. The Ministry replied to the British Embassy in its letter no. R–220 of October 2, 1944, giving a brief explanation of the present procedures for maintaining the Proclaimed and Statutory Lists and suggesting further discussions with the Russians.
The effectiveness of the Proclaimed List both now and particularly in the post hostilities period could be greatly impaired if the Soviet Government should fail to recognize the list in its commercial dealings with countries to which the list has been extended. The Officer in Charge is requested to discuss with his British colleagues the action which they have thus far taken on this subject and then to approach informally the appropriate officials in the Soviet Government, bringing to their attention the above-quoted public statement of September 26 and supplying them with a copy of the Proclaimed List of Certain Blocked Nationals. Two copies of the publication are enclosed herewith.
It appears from the exchange of communications between the Ministry of Economic Warfare and the British Embassy at Moscow that the Russians are under the impression that the post-hostilities list has been or shortly will be available in its final form. Additions to and deletions from the Proclaimed and Statutory List are made in monthly supplements and it is anticipated that this procedure will be followed so long as the lists are maintained. The missions have, however, been instructed to begin immediately a review of the Proclaimed List in the light of the post-resistance aims set forth in the public statement and to forward a report to the Department indicating (a) those names which should remain on the list during the post-hostilities period for which the lists will be maintained (including Axis spearhead firms, concerns which are enemy controlled, holders of property belonging to enemy nationals, receivers of property looted by enemy nationals, and in general any others likely to engage in activities detrimental to post-resistance policies) and (b) the order in which the remaining names should be deleted, i.e., arranging the names in the order of the seriousness of their offenses, placing first those firms which have contributed least to the Axis cause. The Department suggests that the foregoing information be conveyed to the Soviet officials in the course of discussions on the subject and that they be informed of this government’s preparedness to consider any amendments to the list on the basis of their representations.
The Department will appreciate a prompt report of the results of the Embassy’s discussions with the Soviet Government. In the future, two copies of each supplement to or revision of the Proclaimed List will be forwarded to the Embassy, and it is suggested that one of [Page 195] the copies be made available to the Soviet Government. The officer in charge should advise the Department if additional copies of the list are needed.
- Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky, First Assistant People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.↩