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& “Office | Memorandum + oNiTED STATES GOVERNMENT to .:; THE DIRECTOR | Q22r3o> fe / FROM : D. M. LADD ey tNFOR MA - Pola, SUBJECT: OPEN LETTER 10 STALIN 5 rag \ aa ss uy “tl ur: as | a CP Saresy7/ed pyseraseror eee PATE? ——————— we. Surnse_—_— I called at the office of Under Secré ett of the £: i State Department at 2:30 p.m. today in accord with the suggestion of the Attorney General. Mr. Lovett stated he had a set of circumstances which = #; es he wanted to report which might show some prior knowledge on the part of = its unt Mr. Wallace of the exchange of notes between the United States Gove: t and the Russian Goverment. Mr. Lovett referred to Sergeant James arn, who had been a code clerk in the United States Embassy in Moscow and who recently defected and turned himself over to the Russian officials. Mr. Lovett stated that McMillin had been alone in the code room at night. He further stated that the State Department had sent a message to Ambassador Smith in effect instructing Ambassador Smith to tell Stalin that, first, the United States didn't want war and secondly, that the United States would not; however, be pushed around. The Ambassador wired back agreeing with the messdge and then advised that he had conferred with Molotov who had been umsually polite and friendly. ‘The message going to Ambassador Smith was sent on May 4. Ambassador Smith had seen Molotov A at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 9. ‘The message from Ambassador Smith to the State Department had left Moscow at 1:00 a.m., Monday, May 10, and reached the Depart- ment of State in Washington on Monday, May 10, 3:43 a.m. It was a top secr eyes only, message. Mr. Lovett stated that subsequently on Monday evening,- May 10, between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. the Moscow radio broadcast excerpts 2rom the exchange of notes. London picked this up and CBS first put any refersate to the exchange of notes on a news cast at 9:00 p.m., Monday, May 10. It was carried at 11:00 peme on the same night. - RECORDED - 30 "Ae ~/7 ¥ R . [ of Mr, Lovett stated that from heraypy(PheMhformationts spéctlation | only. He states that he had learned thal Mr, Wallace had scheduled a large / meeting for Tuesday night, May 11, at Madison (x88 Garden, 'that’sdistime between midnight Monday and the time of the me@ting, Mr. Wallace had had printed and distributed his open letter in order that it would be in the hands of all persons attending his meeting on Tuesday night. He stated, aie v that if it can be show that Wallace's letter was printed prior to the of the Moscow broadcast, it would indicate that possibly McMillin co A ae tipped off the Russian Government, who could have commmicated directly or , indirectly with Mr. Wallace and arranged for the issuance of such a letter. Mr, Lovett stated that Mr. Wallace has made the statement that he revised the draft of his proposed open letter after the release of the notes, Mr. Lovett pointed out that it would have had to be sometime subsequent to 9:00 p.m. Monday, May 10, which was the first time the information concerning the exchange of notes was mentioned on the American radio, He suggested, therefore, that ei it might be worthwhile to mke some inquiry as to the place of printing of the ase so-called oven letter, it being umerstood that about 20,000 copies were printed. In oe etion with this matter, Mr, Lovett further mentioned that