November 10, 1945
Cable No. 3550, Stalin to Cdes. Molotov, Beria, Malenkov, and Mikoyan
This document was made possible with support from Blavatnik Family Foundation
A second time
STRICTLY SECRET
Sent to Cdes. Molotov, Beria, Malenkov, Mikoyan, and the 3rd Unit
CABLE
from SOCHI sent at 0822 10 November 1945; arrived at the VKP(b) CC for decipherment at 1105 10 November 1945
Incoming Nº 3550/sh
Moscow, VKP(b) CC to Cdes. Molotov, Beria, Malenkov, and Mikoyan
First. I consider the publication of Churchill’s speech with praise of Russia and Stalin a mistake. Churchill needs this praise to soothe his guilty conscience and conceal his hostile attitude toward the USSR, in particular, to conceal the fact that Churchill and his disciples from the Labor Party are the organizers of an Anglo-American-French bloc against the USSR. We help these gentlemen with the publication of such speeches. Now we have many senior officials who fall into childish glee from the praise from Churchill, Truman, Byrnes, and, on the other hand, fall into despondency from unfavorable reactions from these gentlemen. I consider such sentiments dangerous since they develop servility among us toward foreign figures. A stern fight needs to be waged against servility toward foreigners. But if we publish such speeches in the future we will spread servility and toadyism with this. I am not saying that Soviet leaders do not need praise from foreign leaders. As regards myself personally such praise only irritates me.
Second. Viticulture and fruit-growing ought not be included in the People’s Commissariat of Industrial Crops in order not to distract the attention of the People’s Commissariat from industrial crops. All the remaining crops named in the draft can be included. Benediktov is not suitable for the role of the People’s Commissar of Industrial Crops. It is better to leave him in the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture in the role of deputy to Andreyev who, in view of [his] illness, cannot long remain the People’s Commissar. Skvortsov can be made the People’s Commissar.
Third. It is necessary to remove all of our liaison officers and other people from Yan’an’ and the regions of operations of Mao Zedong’s troops. The civil war in China is taking on a serious nature and I fear that our enemies will then declare our people in these regions which no one is governing the organizers of the civil war in China. The faster we take them out of there the better.
STALIN
Deciphered at 1215 10 November 1945. Nine copies printed. Belova, Chumicheva, Khokhlov, and Polyakov.
Stalin discusses Soviet reception of a speech in which Winston Churchill praised Russia and Stalin, the need to exclude viticulture and fruit-growing from the People’s Commissariat of Industrial Crops, and the urgency with which Soviet diplomats should be withdrawn from the regions in which Mao Zedong's troops are operating lest the Soviets be accused of organizing the Chinese civil war.
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