Cablegram 258 Moscow, 9 August 1947, 7.05 p.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE TOP SECRET
GREECE
1. I secured an appointment with Vyshinski today and have just
discussed the subject with him for thirty minutes.
2. I spoke to him as directed in your telegram 151 and referred to
all points raised in your telegrams 152 and 154. To avoid any
misunderstanding due to translation I left with him an aide
memoire which summarised all the points in the Australian
proposal. As matter of tactics I stressed throughout the danger to
the prestige of the Security Council and United Nations rather
than developments in Greece itself.
3. Vyshinski spoke freely and frankly in reply as follows:
'The Soviet Government appreciated the efforts of the Australian
Government to devise a formula agreeable to all. The Soviet
Government was also concerned to maintain the prestige of the
Security Council. It would be difficult, however, for the Soviet
Government to agree to the Australian proposal. Firstly, the
proposal appeared to place Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia and
Bulgaria in the same category and thus, at least by inference, to
blame all countries equally for the situation which had arisen.
The Soviet Government could not accept this interpretation of the
facts. Secondly, if the Security Council did not in fact carry out
its proper function of assigning responsibility for the
developments of the situation in Greece surely its prestige would
be diminished. The members of the Sub-Committee now conferring in
New York would, presumably, do their best to reach an agreed
formula but differences between the two points of view in the
Security Council were substantial and one did not really solve
them by avoiding reference to them.'
4. I suggested that if no positive action were taken by the
Security Council its prestige would be lowered to a much greater
extent than if it passed a compromise resolution which maintained
its jurisdiction in the matter and held out some hope of achieving
a solution of the Greek question. To this he made no reply.
5. Vyshinski was obviously au fait with the matter. His manner was
friendly. Unlike all other Soviet officials I have met he was
prepared to exchange ideas and to express immediately a definite
Soviet attitude.
6. I take the liberty of suggesting the following modifications in
the proposal set out in your telegram No. 152 as designed to help
to secure agreement.
(i) Substitution of 'situation in Greece' for the existing phrase
(2) Deletion of the word 'cease' and substitution of 'refrain
from', substitution for the present clause the following 'Security
Council expresses at the present time no opinion as to who is to
blame for the situation.' [1]
[AA : A1838, 854/10/7, ii]