841.796/8–2645: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 26—7:15 p.m.]
3066. Reference Department’s telegram 1904, August 24, 2 p.m.32 Watson-Watt’s statement is first we have heard of any reconsideration of Russian position on aviation. As far as we can see, Russian attitude is still governed principally by determination that aircraft of other great powers shall not fly over Soviet territory. It is not impossible, in my opinion, that Soviets might consent to permit airlines of Russian satellite countries or even of smaller neighbors, such as Sweden, to enter Soviet Union on strictly reciprocal basis; but we have been given no encouragement to hope they will consent to entry of American airlines. On the other hand, it is possible they may expect to have participation in international aviation through lines of satellite countries which would be in reality Russian controlled and it is impossible to find in Moscow anyone who would discuss questions of policy on matters of civil aviation while these questions are still in preliminary stage and while no major directives from high policy making authorities are yet available. Soviet reticence is particularly marked in matters [Page 877] of civil aviation, probably because they involve a wide circle of separate Soviet authorities with varying, and sometimes conflicting, interests.
- Not printed; it reported that Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, the British chairman of the London Conference of Commonwealth and Empire Radio for Civil Aviation, understood that four Soviet observers at the Conference were giving full reconsideration to the position on international aviation organization for their Government (841.796/8–2445).↩