861.24/541: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:45 p.m.]
1534. L. J. Cadbury, head of the British Economic Mission, told me today that he has thus far been unable to obtain any information of real value from the Soviet authorities with respect to the product[ion of strat]egic materials of the Soviet Union. He expressed the hope, however, that these figures would be disclosed at the forthcoming [Page 187] American-British-Soviet conference.64 In this connection he said that in response to a request by the Soviet authorities for aluminum he had inquired as to the production and stocks of the Soviet Union and that Mikoyan had finally replied by giving him the names of the centers of production to “satisfy your curiosity” without, however, disclosing any production figures. He said that among the centers named by Mikoyan was Kandalaksha but that he had been unable to ascertain whether this relatively new plant is yet in production. Cadbury also told me that the amount of platinum to be delivered by the Soviet Union to Britain was approximately one and one-half tons of which two-thirds have already been delivered. Cadbury said that he expects that Beaverbrook will head the new British Mission to Moscow.