811.42700(R)/11–2246: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Secretary of State
niact
[Received November 22—6:11 a.m.]
4203. Following is Embassy’s translation of Soviet reply to telegram from Murrow of CBS to Stalin.72 Text was handed to Hottelet night of November 19 and made available to Embassy by Foreign Office:
“In connection with your telegram of November 8, 1946, regarding the radio broadcasting from Moscow by your correspondent, R. Hottelet, the press section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR has been instructed by the authorities of the Ministry to communicate to you the following:
- (1)
- Formerly foreign correspondents could not broadcast from Moscow but sent their despatches by telegraph.
- (2)
- At the time of the war, two or three correspondents were accorded the possibility, as a temporary measure, to transmit news by radio in connection with the fact that other forms of communication were rendered difficult by the war.
- (3)
- The recent termination of these radio broadcasts means the abolition of this temporary measure under the conditions of the normal function of usual communication facilities. In addition the making available of time for such radio broadcasts is rendered difficult owing to the overloaded conditions of the radio stations.
Correspondents who temporarily enjoyed the possibility of radio broadcasting may, if they wish, continue their work as formerly and send their despatches in the usual way as was formerly done before the war.”