Byrnes-Molotov conversation, morning or early afternoon1

1. The relationship of this conversation to the ByrnesMolotov meeting of July 30 (see ante, p. 480) is not entirely clear. Byrnes, in Speaking Frankly, gives no summary of the July 30 meeting, and his summary of the conversation ascribed to July 31 in part duplicates the official minutes for the meeting of July 30. At the same time, the fact that there are certain portions of Byrnes’ summary of the conversation ascribed to July 31 which are not reflected in the official minutes of the July 30 meeting—particularly Byrnes’ statement that he and Truman would leave for the United States the next day—strengthens the presumption that another (and more outspoken) ByrnesMolotov conversation actually did take place on July 31.

Present2
United States Soviet Union
Secretary Byrnes Foreign Commissar Molotov
  1. Presumably at least one interpreter was also present at this conversation.