761.00/5–3146: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 31—7:16 a.m.]
1700. Views of British Foreign Office official expressed to Harriman98 (Dept’s information circular airgram May 10).99
We agree that Soviet satellite regimes are not likely to wither away. We do not minimize powerful domestic resentment against and opposition to these regimes, particularly in Poland, but we do wish to emphasize that in our opinion USSR is determined to continue domination over these states and is prepared to go to almost any lengths and employ almost any measures to achieve this end. Composition of satellite regimes may change but their essential subservience to USSR must, as far as Soviet intentions are concerned, continue.
We concur that USSR has not set any definite limits to its objectives in Europe and that only limitation on its activities are the opposition it encounters and the extent of its own capacities.
If foregoing is true then we are about to be driven into position—if we are not already there—where facts of situation compel us to view Europe not as a whole, but as divided essentially into two zones: a defensive one in the east where at best we can hope only to moderate Soviet dispensation, and a second zone in the west which has still not been brought under Soviet domination and in which there is still opportunity for USA and UK to nourish and support growth of healthy society reasonably immune and resistant to totalitarian virus.