DAILY SUMMARY - 1946/04/17

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Daily Summary Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01068490
• Document Creation Date: September 11, 2018

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17 APR 1946
1. US.guestions Lie's action and motives--According to Stettinius, the
US delegation to the Security Council regards the "unsolicited" cora-
munication to the Council on 16 April by Secretary-General Lie as
an "extremely dubious practice'1 and as "drafted with other than
purely legal considerations in mind."
2a,......vam's ex laa ....s2,,t1.92�.: On 15 April Qavara sought to explain
to Embassy Tehran the ciremnstances which resulted in his instruc-
tions to Ambassador Ala to request the withdrawal of Iran's case.
According to Qavam the Soviet Ambassador, having learned of Ala.'s
new instructions to leave the matter for the Council's decision, pro-
tested these instructions as "illogical" because Iran was professing
confidence an the Soviet evacuation but at the same time was not follow-
ing the Soviet course in asking the Council to drop the Iranian complaint
Qavara disputed this view an the grounds that the SoViets had originally
qualified their promise of withdrawal by the phrase "if nothing unfore-
seen occurred." The Soviet Ambassador declared that this qualifica-
tion was imposed (a) before Iranian-Soviet agreement, and (b) when
it seemed that "elements hostile to the USSR might force out Qavata."
He added that these conditions no longer existed. The Soviet Ambassa-
dor also gave Qavam new assurances that the USSR would use its in-
fluence with the Azerbaijanis to keep Azerbaijani demands within limit
acceptable to Qavam. Qavam accordingly yielded to Soviet pressure
and directed Ala to join in the request to drop Iran's case.
(According to Qa,va.m's Propaganda Minister, "preliminary
and indirect" negotiations with the Azerbaijanis are under way and
the Tehran Government hopes that an Azerbaijani delegation will arrive
at Kara) soon. US Consul Tabriz reports that he observed joint Red
Army-Azerbaijani maneuvers in the hills south of Tabriz on 16 April.)
Iranian nolisz. Firuz, Propaganda Minister and pro-Soviet
Under Secretary of Qavam's office'' and Homayunjah, Foreign Office
Under Secretary, both have offered to Embassy Tehran their reasons
for Iran's current appeasement policy towards the USSR. Firuz in-
sisted that Iran (a) was trying to serve the cause of world peace and
"save her own skin," (b) considered the support of the western powers
"absolutely essential, but (c) had its "head in the bear's mouth."
He added that if UNO was prepared to guarantee Iran against the USSR,
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"that would be a different story." The Foreign Office Under Secretary
said Iranian policy is based primarily on the necessity of avoiding
anything which cbuld give the USSR an excuse to allege that Iran is in
any way unfriendly. Iran thus hopes to "disarm" the Soviet Govern-
ment by accepting "false Soviet assertions" and to evoke greater world
' support by "showing up" the Soviets.
2 Soviet interest in Spitzbergen and Bear Island--The Norwegian Ambassa-
dor in Washington has informed the State Department that the Soviets
have recently emphasized to the Norwegian envoy in Moscow their con-
tinued interest in an agreement for joint Norwegian-Soviet defense of
Spitzbergen and Bear Island (midway between Spitzbergen and Norway).
3 \ President Trtunan seeks cooperation of Egyptian King in air agreement--
VS Minister Cairo has been instructed to present to the King of ggyPt
the following views of President Truman: (a) the conclusion of pending
US-Egyptian air agreements is a matter "of the utmost importance" to
the US, (b) Egyptian opposition to US air traffic between Cairo and Lydda
is the main unresolved point, and (c) "restricted" interim military
rights, desired by the US, do not necessitate retention in Egypt of US
military personnel. The President urges the King to remove the remain-
ing obstacles to agreement
4 CDTCPAC opposes full citizenship for Guam's natives at this time, be-
cause they are not yet capable of assuming all the responsibilities of
self-government. He believes that unless the natives retain special
status, the preservation of their rights and interests will be jeopardized
by the presence on Guam of "a numerically predominant population of
mainland citizens which is expected to attain the ratio of 4 to 1."
� EUROPE .,AFRICA
5. POLAND: US asks reaffirmation of Polish election pledge--The State
Department has authorized Ambassador Lane to inform the Polish
Government that (a) the recent referendum proposal and postponement
of elections until the fall (see the Daily Suramary for 4 April, item 4)
have cast doubt on the Polish Government's intention to fulfill the Yalta
and Potsdam agreements concerning Polish elections; (b) any departure
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE - Historical Programs Staff 30 August 2018
from the letter and spirit of these agreements would have a "most
unfortunate" effect on US-Polish relationships; and (c) it would be
highly desirable for the Polish Government to issue an immediate pub-
lic reaffirmation of its intention to hold elections this year, incorporat-
ing the exact wording of the Potsdam pledge for free participation by
all democratic parties.
6 FINLAND: Cabinet delegation to visit Moscow�Minister Hamilton
has been informed by Finnish Foreign Minister Enckell that the Prime
Minister and three Cabinet members plan to leave for Moscow on 17
April (two other Cabinet members are already there). Enckell stated
that the mission (a) had not been invited by the Soviets, (b) wished to
discuss general questions relating to ,the peace treaty before formal
receipt of definite proposals and (c) would probably not discuss the
question of a Soviet-Finnish military alliance.
7. USSR: Smith's views on Soviet-Argentine relations�Ambassador Smith
agrees with Charge Cabot in Buenos Aires that a Soviet-Argentine
rapprochement is a complicated matter for the Soviets as well as for
Argentina (see Daily Summary 13 April, item #9). Smith believes that
(a) the Soviets consider Buenos Aires the most desirable location for
a "political beachhead" from which to neutralize US influence in the
Western Hemisphere, but (b) they fear that the inconsistency between
their anti-Franco stand and a Soviet-Argentine rapprochement would
be exploited by anti-Soviet propagandists. He anticipates, however,
early resumption of full diplomatic relations between the two countries
provided (a) Peron does not set too high a price and (b) Soviet steps in
that direction do not seriously antagonize world opinion. Smith concludes
that resumption of relations would not mean wholehearted Soviet coopera-
tion with Peron but would be followed by attempts to undermine the
Peron regime.
8. FRANCE: Political crisis reaches climax�Caffery reports that the
crisis over the nature of the new Constitution has reached a climax.
If, as appears imminent, the MRP Party breaks with the leftist parties
over this issue, its representatives almost certainly will withdraw
from the Gouin Cabinet, and will leave the government to a Socialist-
Communist coalition.
The Frenched.............,2g,...z.awiLgt..,Lgar,..L_21:0G, according to
Caffery, openly demonstrated in its recently concluded Congress that
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE - Historical Programs Staff 30 August 2018
it has become an "instrument of the Kremlin." (The CGT claixas a
membership of 5,E00,000 workers.) Caffery adds that while the entire
COT machinery is directed by the Communist Party, the position of
the rank and file is confused.
9. SPAM: Franco stronger, oppositionists discouraged--Embassy Madrid
reports that the internal effect oi the Polish action against Spain before
the Security Council, like earlier international pressures, has been to
increase popular support of the regime. Moderate opposition elements,
including both Monarchists and Republicans, are feeling a "profound
discouragement."
FAR EAST
10. INDIA: Defensive measures agMnt impendingdisorders--US Consul
Bombay has been told by "reliable" British complete
plans have been worked out to insure the safety of Europeans in the
Bombay area in the _event of civil disturbances, which are expected
within oneor two months. While the British consider that any trouble
In this area can be handled by available troops, they are deeply con-
cerned over the large number of Europeans in the interior. The Consul
reports that "for obvious reasons" he cannot warn the American resi-
dents, but he will give precedence to Americans for passage on a trans-
port leaving for the US in mid-May.
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