740.0011 EW (Peace)/8–1547
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Reinhardt) to the Secretary of State
No. 1547
Moscow, August 19,
1947.
Subject: Ratification of Italian and Balkan
Treaties.
The Officer in Charge refers to the Embassy’s telegram no. 2629 of
August 12, 7 p. m.,1 and
to the Department’s telegrams no. 1609 of August 15, 4 p. m.,2 and no. 1611 of August 16,
1 p. m., 1947,3 and
has the honor to transmit for the records of the Department the
following copies of correspondence exchanged between the Embassy and
the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this connection:
Two copies of letter dated August 18, 1947, addressed to A. Ya.
Vyshinski, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Moscow.
[Enclosure]
The American Ambassador (Smith) to the Soviet Deputy Minister for Foreign
Affairs (Vyshinsky)
Dear Mr. Vyshinski: I refer to the
informal discussion which I had with Mr. Molotov on July 11,
1947 relative to the question of the deposit of the
ratifications of the peace treaties with Italy and the ex-enemy
Balkan States and to the Ministry’s note no. 312 of August
11,4
1947 which set forth the substance of the Soviet Government’s
communication of July 21 to the British Government on this
subject. In this communication the Soviet Government affirmed
its opinion that the deposit of the ratifications of the four
Powers should be effected simultaneously and stated that it
shared the British Government’s view with regard to the
undesirability of postponing the entry into force of the several
peace treaties. However the communication would seem to infer
that the Soviet Government regards ratification by the ex-enemy
States as necessary to the entry into force of the treaties.
In this connection I recall that in the Ministry’s note of
January 31, 1947 regarding the Italian treaty,5 it is set forth as the opinion of the
[Page 562]
Soviet Government
that under the pertinent article of that treaty (Article 90)
Italy was under the obligation to sign and ratify the treaty as
drawn up and that the treaty entered into effect by the deposit
of instruments of ratification by the four principal Allied
Powers. Inasmuch as the peace treaties with Bulgaria, Hungary,
and Rumania contain similar provisions (Article 38 of the
Bulgarian Treaty, Article 42 of the Hungarian Treaty, and
Article 40 of the Rumanian Treaty) with respect to their
ratification and entry into force, the Soviet Government’s
opinion with respect to the Italian Treaty set forth in its note
of January 31, 1947 is equally applicable to the treaties of
peace with these three ex-enemy States.
As I informed Mr. Molotov, the United States Government has
already ratified the treaties and it is my understanding that
similar action has been taken by both the British and French
Governments. Furthermore, as you will recall, the several
treaties all provide that the instruments of ratification shall
be deposited “in the shortest possible time”. Accordingly I
would appreciate being advised regarding the Soviet Government’s
plans for its ratification of the treaties and whether it has
given consideration to a date for the simultaneous deposit of
the ratifications of the four principal Allied Powers.
I am [etc.]
