Office of the Historian

740.00119 EW/l–945: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, January 9, 1945—6 p.m.
[Received 9:20 p.m.]

87. The Czech Ambassador has given me a copy of a memorandum which he has submitted to the Narkomindel4a containing certain Czech desiderata in relation to the Hungarian and German armistice terms. The memorandum suggests that the following points be included in the Hungarian armistice:

(1)
A proposal that certain enactments, such as the Vienna Awards, which affect Czech territory be recognized as null and void.
(2)
That it be stipulated that a state of war between Czechoslovakia and Hungary existed as of October 7, 1938.
(3)
A proposal that Hungary take on certain obligations with respect to Magyars who possessed Czech citizenship but who will be transferred to Hungary.
(4)
A proposal that Czechoslovakia participate in the occupation of Hungary if states other than Great Britain and the United States, [Page 968] the Soviet Union and France participate in the occupation of that country.

I understand from the British Embassy that the Czech proposals were presented in full to the Department early in December. Since it is likely that these proposals will be raised when we present the Hungarian draft to the Czech and Yugoslav Ambassadors here (Department’s 2764, December 1, 4 p.m. and penultimate paragraph of Embassy’s 5034, December 27, 9 p.m.), I would appreciate Department’s views thereon.

Harriman
  1. Soviet People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (Narodnyi Komissariat I nostrannykh Del).↩