Moscow Embassy Files: Lot F–96
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
| [Participants:] | The American Ambassador, Mr. Harriman |
| Mr. C. E. Bohlen | |
| The Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Mr. V. M. Molotov | |
| Mr. Berezhkov, interpreter |
I expressed appreciation to Mr. Molotov for the courtesies and facilities afforded Dr. Waldron on his recent visit to the camp of the sixty-one interned American aviators at Tashkent.24 Mr. Molotov asked how they were getting on. I explained that the Soviet Major [Page 736] Yunov who had been put in charge two months ago, the four women interpreters, and the doctor who had arrived about a month ago were doing all they could to look after them. I said that thanks to the character of the American Major Salter in command, the morale of the men up to the present was still good but that they were urgently in need of certain American supplies such as uniforms, shoes, medicines, toilet articles, and a few small objects of personal luxuries such as chocolate and cigarettes. I told Mr. Molotov that these supplies were available in Tehran and requested him to obtain permission for them to be sent in either by airplane or by truck.
Mr. Molotov immediately agreed to this and said he would make available a Soviet plane for this purpose. I then said it would be useful to have an American doctor go in with these supplies in order to show the Soviet doctor in the camp how to use the American medicines. Molotov also agreed to permit an American doctor to go in with the medical supplies. He likewise did not make objection to the sending of a radio receiver for personal use at the camp. I remarked that one of these men who had been injured in landing had had an operation and that his condition was such that it would be well to permit him to leave the country with the plane. Mr. Molotov voiced no objection but gave no specific approval to this suggestion.
Mr. Molotov then remarked humorously that “try as they would”, the Soviet Government were still unable to find the first group of American aviators who had been interned in the U.S.S.R.25 I pointed out to him that, as he had noted, I was only requesting supplies for a temporary period since I did not anticipate that the present interned aviators would have a very long stay in the Soviet Union. I pointed out to him in this connection that although they were very grateful for the kind treatment accorded to them by the Soviet authorities, it was nevertheless somewhat difficult for them to understand why they should be kept in the Soviet Union which they regarded as an ally of the United States. I said therefore that if their stay was prolonged, their morale would undoubtedly be affected. Mr. Molotov agreed and said that he did not believe that these aviators would be forced to “sit” in Tashkent for a year. It was quite clear from Molotov’s remarks and attitude that the Soviet Government intends to let these aviators “escape”.
- In a 4-page memorandum of this date, Dr. Waldron recorded the discussion of his visit to these interned flyers with Ambassador Harriman and three military officers at the Ambassador’s residence in Spaso House. Dr. Waldron had left Moscow on November 14, but bad weather caused his travel to Tashkent to take 21 days. After his visit with the aviators, his return trip took only 3 days, flying in “a general’s plane which had gone to Tashkent to collect some apples”. Most of the conversation concerned the well-nigh primitive conditions under which the flyers were living, although it was recognized that “the Russians were giving them the best attention they could”. The local authorities in turn had complained that there had been two attempts made to escape, but the officers and men had thereafter promised not to make a further attempt for 6 months.↩
- Llewellyn E. Thompson, Second Secretary of Embassy in the Soviet Union, wrote in a memorandum of October 26, 1943: “In March 1943, the Foreign Office stated that they [the crew members interned at Okhansk; see telegram No. 220, March 29, 3 p.m., from the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, p. 643] were being removed to Ashkhabad, where they would be given an opportunity to do some useful work. Shortly after this, we learned that the crew had escaped under conditions which suggested that the Soviet authorities had taken some pains to make possible. So far as I am aware, the Soviet authorities have made no mention of the matter nor has the Embassy.” See also the last paragraph of the memorandum of November 5, by Mr. Charles E. Bohlen, p. 720.↩