Evening star., 1948-02-15

afford surpluses of strategic mater
Germany.
The Soviet Union, cut of by the
ais, was intent on keeping open her
trade channels with the United
States. She could not understand,
however, why we did not, in all cases,
receive her with widespread arms.
At times she wanted the impos-
sible. For many months she had
been trying to buy complete bat
tleship from American shipbuilders.
The President and I were willing
that one should be built for her.
The Russians insisted, however, that
the very latest American devices
and inventions should be incorpo-
rated. The Navy was agreeable to
permitting construction of battle
ship at least as modern as those we
already possessed, but was unwill-
ing to give away to the Russians
all the latest secrets which Ameri-
can research had amassed over a
period of years, some of which were
being embodied in our new battle
ships then under construction.
Oumansky Was Difficult
Ihad a comprehensive discussion of
Soviet-American relations with Am
bassador Oumansky on April 2, 1910.
Mr.. Oumansky was one of the most
difficult foreign diplomats with
whom we had ever had to deal. He
was insulting in his manner and
speech, and had an infallible faculty
for antagonizing those with whom
he came in contact. Overbearing
he made demands for concessions
as If they were natural right, and
protested our acts as if they were
heinous offenses. In my opinion,
he did much harm to Russian rela-
tions.
Mr.. Oumansky came to see me on
this occasion with chip on his
shoulder. He began the conversa-
ton by reciting number Of So
called grievances. He mentioned
the refusal of certain American
companies to permit Russian engi-
neers or prospective purchasers to
inspect their plants; protracted de-
tention on Ellis Island of Russian
men and women of some prominence
who had come to the United States
on temporary visas, and our moral
embargo Gin connection with the
Finnish War;. He then de-
manded bluntly whether this Gov
ernment intended to abandon or
continue commercial relations with
the U. S. s. r.
I was particular not to comment
one way or the other.
He then sought to make the point
that the moral embargo applied
only to Russia.
I made it clear that it applied
to all Nations alike which engaged
in bombing civilian populations.
Denies Civilian Bombing
He denied that his country was
engaged in bombing civilian popula-
tions.
I'VE have the most satisfactory
evidence of Russian bombing OF
civilian populations, I replied. "And
l cannot convince you any more
than you can convince me to the
contrary in view of the tone of youl
discussion Of this matter"
Each time the Ambassador at
tempted to state the peaceful inten-
tions of his government I tried to
convey an impression of doubt on
my part.
The conversation lasted nearly an
hour. He concluded by saying his
government had no intention to in
terfere with Bessarabia, the eastern
province of Romania which had be-
longed to Russia before the war OF
1914-191S; that Russia was slow to
believe that Turkey would become
party to any interference by the
Allies with the Baku oil area and
that Russia had no designs on any
portion of the Near East; but he
avoided the subject of Finland and
Germany.
I cabled our Embassy in Moscow
May 20 to seek information concern
ing Soviet military movements to-
ward the Romanian border. Arileri-
can Minister Gunther in Bucharest
had cabled me there was a concen-
tration of Russian troops along The
border. The Romanians believed
that Stain, aghast at the extent OF
the German victories in the west,
was seeking to obtain possession of
Romanian territory to afford him a
better bargaining position with
Hitler. They had reference to Bes-
sarabia.
Molotov Was Aneered
After Walter Thurston, at Moscow
saw Foreign Commissar Molotov he
cabled me on May 81 that Molotov
had launched into a violent COM
plant against the United States. He
was specifically angered over the
cancellation of orders placed with
American firms by the Soviet Union
which he described as unfriendly and
intolerable. When Mr.. Thurston ex-
planned that, for reasons of national
defense, We were requisitioning
orders placed by other governments
also, and therefore there was nc
discrimination against Russia, Molo-
tov's anger rose. He said we had nc
mandate to revise the normal
methods of intercourse between gov
ernments; our action was unlawful
and intolerable; we must assume full
resuonSibility for it. and 1t Voulc