Telegram from United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union Walter Bedell Smith to the Department of State

NLT-549 2 INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of State -Division of Communications and Records TOP OBORET Rec'd May 10, 1948 FROM: Moscow DECLASSIFIED E.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) TO: Secretary of State DEPT. OF STATE LTR. 3-5-73 Ly ,HC -NLT NARS Date3:14-1 NO: NIACT 866, May 10, 1.a.m. US URGENT FOR THE SECRETARY'S EYES ONLY FROM SMITH ARCH Molotov sent for me this evening at six and made from notes an oral statement, text of which he handed me at conclusion of our conversation. GOVE This text being transmitted in immediately following message, and you will note that it is, in effect, simply our statement in reverse. No proposals or feelers of a more definite nature were made during subsequent conversation. I interpret Soviet statement to mean that they have taken note of our declaration of intention, appreciate fact that we are determined to proceed as indicated, and wish us to know that they are not going to change their own policy for the time being. They are going to watch developments closely, and will be guided by them, and not by our words. They are not ready to talk yet, but have not closed the door. Just as we have made a statement for the record, so have they. At conclusion of Mr. Molotov's statement I said I would comment briefly. With regard to remarks about "development of US bases, our policy of encircle- ment and our war-like threats, 11 I had only to say that our entire history was refutation of any suspicion of a policy which involved aggressive war. As I stated during our previous conversation, the drawing together of the western European countries and the support which was being given them by US was a direct reflection of the apprehensions and fears which had been aroused by the expansionist policy of USSR, and that while I had no right to disbelieve his statements, I could not refrain from paraphrasing Mr. Vsyhinski¹ comment that facts spoke for themselves. The US was secure in its honesty of purpose with regard to ERP. Our people were, as stated previously, completely unable to understand implications placed on that program by USSR. US appreciates and fully understands the desire and indeed the necessity of close and friendly relations between USSR and its neighbors, but that here again facts spoke for themselves, and I was fully familiar with events which followed the acceptance by Czechoslovakia of invitation to ERP conference in Paris and subsequent reversal of this acceptance during the immediately following visit of Mazaryk and Gottwald to Moscow. A country like my own which permitted complete freedom of pôlitical thought and expression did not oppose Communism because of its Marxian ideology DECLASSIFIEB E.Ô. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) TOP SECRET LYHG-NLT NARS Date 3-14-73