TASS Report Distributed to Cdes. I.V. Stalin, V.M. Molotov, A.I. Mikoyan, L.P. Beria, G.M. Malenkov, and A. Ya. Vyshinsky, 'The Newspaper Le Pays on Attlee's Talks with Truman'

[stamp: the Secret

Department of TASS]

Top Secret

THE NEWSPAPER LE PAYS ON ATTLEE’S TALKS WITH TRUMAN

PARIS, 15 November (TASS). The newspaper Le Pays publishes the following report about Attlee’s talks with Truman without indicating the source of the information:

“The conference aboard the ‘Sequoia’ has almost concluded. An Anglo-American bloc has been born. Now preparations are already being actively made for the purpose of a meeting of the big three and the corresponding chancelleries are developing an “atomic charter”. Washington has sent a formal invitation to Stalin through the Soviet Embassy to a conference of Truman, Attlee, and Stalin which should be held in London beginning 15 December.

Without predetermining Marshal Stalin’s decision, Molotov made the following reservations a priori:

1. The health of the Generalissimo needs to be spared and therefore his presence in the London climate cannot be counted upon;

2. For the sake of eliminating this inconvenience the Soviet government would propose choosing Moscow or Yalta as the place for the meeting or, if this choice does not appear satisfactory to the two other partners, to leave the choice for Teheran, which is not far from the Caucasus;

3. The Russians would like to get explanations about the agreements concluded between Truman and Attlee on board the Sequoia before setting the date of the meeting;

We think that there is a very strong trend against a new meeting of the “big three” in some leading circles of the Soviet capital.

Then the paper writes that, in the opinion of these circles, a new meeting would occur in an atmosphere unfavorable for the USSR, or the Anglo-American representatives would agree beforehand to exert pressure, taking on the form of a diktat.”

The paper continues, “Molotov, who evidently belongs to this trend, would like to first set the date and procedure of the upcoming conference, cleanse the ground of any difficulties threatening it either by means of the chancelleries or in a meeting of the three interested ministers. He recommends that Washington approve the principle of a preliminary conference of the three ministers of foreign affairs, setting it at 10 December”.

Seven copies printed

1 – to Cde. I. V. Stalin

2 – to Cde. V. M. Molotov

3 – to Cde. A. I. Mikoyan

4 – to Cde. L. P. Beria  

5 – to Cde. G. M. Malenkov

6 – to Cde. A. Ya. Vyshinsky

7 – to file

Outgoing Nº 544ss

17 November 1945

M. Nº 446

   zp  [handwritten: PR]