711.61/2–1846: Telegram
The Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
priority
[Received February 19—10:56 a.m.]
150. All of us in Mission and on US Delegation ACC are delighted with contents of Department’s telegram No. 45, February 1558 calling for representations Moscow re failure local Russian representatives to abide by Potsdam agreement on ACC procedure. I can assure Department that no member US delegation or Mission staffs has ever arrived at this post disposed not to get on with Russians. I may even go so far as to say that all have arrived convinced way could be found to establish effective and satisfactory relations with them. I can report with equal assurance that not one has retained original faith in fundamental decency of Russians after experience of direct contact with them; that in fact there is today not single member of staffs, delegation and Mission who retains shred of belief in Russian objectivity or good faith.
As I have said above we are all delighted that failure of local Russians to deal with US in manner that would foster rather than dissipate our desire to get on with them is again to be brought officially to attention of Moscow Government. However, we have no illusions: our experience to date leads us to anticipate no improvement as result of representations couched in language of one gentleman to another. It is our experience that Russian authorities are responsive only to same brutal tactics they themselves employ. As I once said (my telegram 257, May 19, 194559) theirs are methods of gas house gang; including brass knuckles and all other paraphernalia of such hooligans. They deeply resent such conclusions about themselves but this does not cause them to correct their ways. They are instruments of implacable sys tern that makes no allowances for human decency.
Sent Department as 150; repeated to Moscow as No. 75 and London as 66.
- Same as telegram 295, February 15, to Moscow, p. 74.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. iv, p. 217.↩