111.16 Stettinius, Edward R., Jr./161: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

918. As Hamilton38 was seeing Zarubin39 on March 8 I asked him to communicate to Zarubin the reasons for the Under Secretary’s visit to London as set forth in the Department’s 508, March 7, 8 p.m., with request that Zarubin pass the information on to Molotov. Zarubin said that he of course would transmit the information. We have had no reaction from him or other Soviet officials on the matter. Reference your 618, March 17, midnight.40 The Soviet inquiry in London as to the questions which might be considered during the Under Secretary’s visit is in line with Soviet practice. If the British are to give the Soviets information on the subject which might be considered, I recommend that we also inform them directly.

Harriman
  1. Maxwell M. Hamilton, Counselor of Embassy with honorary rank of Minister.
  2. Georgy Nikolayevich Zarubin, Chief of the American Affairs Division of the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs.
  3. Not printed. It reported that the Soviet Ambassador in the United Kingdom, Fedor Tarasovieh Gusev, had asked the British Foreign Secretary for any information “concerning the purpose of the Under Secretary’s forthcoming visit to London and the questions which might be considered.” (111.16 Stettinius, Edward R., Jr./175b)