DAILY SUMMARY - 1946/06/11

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Daily Summary Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02578607
• Document Creation Date: September 11, 2018

Approved for Release: 2018/09/05 CO2578607
APPROVED FOR RELEASE - Historical Programs Staff 30 August 2018
Approved for Release: 2018/09/05 CO2578607
Approved for Release: 2018/09/05 CO2578607
APPROVED FOR RELEASE - Historical Programs Staff 30 August 2018
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11 JUN 1946
99
1. Soviet outlet to Mediterranean�According to Ambassador Wilson in
Ankara, Stalin recently told the British Ambassador in Moscow that
(a) the USSR needs complete freedom of movement for Soviet ships
from and to the Black Sea, but (b) such freedOm is "of little value"
unless the USSR has a base somewhere in the Mediterranean. (The
US representative in Sofia reports increasing evidence that Bulgaria,
with Soviet support, will make a determined bid at the forthcoming
Council of Foreign Ministers for 17estern Thrace and an outlet to
the Mediterranean despite the Council's provisional agreement on
14 May to award the area to Greece.)
2. Evatt weakein,ing on Spanish resolution- Johnson reports his
"Impression"
that Evatt is "weakening" on his refusal to accept a
revision of his resolution on the Spanish question (which expressly
mentions a diplomatic break) and "realizes" that support for the
resolution is on a "shaky basis".
3. State Department defines position on Italian merchant vessels�The
State Department has informed Dunn of its belief that (a) it will not
be practicable to withdraw the offer to the USSR of the VULCANIA
and SATURNIA. as reparations, but (b) claims made by other countries
for Italian merchantmen "can and should be resisted". The Depart-
ment also feels that no further concessions should be made to the
Soviet viewpoint on reparations, and that, in particularos Soviet and
French demands for reparations "from current output should like-
wise be resisted.
EUROPE-AFRICA
4, USSR: Embassy Moscow's views on Soviet propaganda�Ambassador
Smith believes that recurrent charges intke Soviet press that Western
statesmen are guilty of "psychological preparation toward withdrawal
from established principles of Allied cooperation" must be interpreted
as "preparation for possible withdrawal by the Soviet Government,
should this become expedient".
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5. FRANCE: Communists control key trade unions�Caffery points out,
in connection with demands of French labor for a 25 percent wage
increa.se, that the Communists "control the levers" of the "most
decisive and largest" trade unions (in addition to dominating the CGT
as a whole).
6. ICELAND: Election predictions--US Minister Morgan feels that (a)
the forthcoming s wills tow no major changes in party strengths
(the present rarliament includes 20 Conservatives, 15 Progressives,
10 Communists, 7 Social Democrats), (b) the present cabinet coalition
of Conservatives, Social Democrats and Communists will continue, and
(c) to press the issue of US air bases before the elections would only
strengthen the Communists, Morgan believes that the Prime Minister
wants to settle the base issue, but is "not sufficiently our friend" to
arrange a settlement with the Communists unless the US applies some
pressure (see Daily Summary of 10 April, item 2).
7.
Separatist movement in South--US Consul Naples reports that
leading Monarchists in the South are organising a separatist movement
and have attempted to obtain arms. The Consul adds that the US Mili-
tary Police describe the situation as "tense" and have patrols out "in
full force".
6. FIUNGARY: Soviet demand for evacuation of US Legation residence--
Embassy MoIwifl that (a) the Soviet
request of last May for the evacuation of one of the T.JS Legation resi-
dences in Budapest was necessary &Ince the residence is in "direct
proximity" to local Red Army headquarters and billets, and (b) the US
protest against the Soviet request "is totally impossible to understand"
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9, IRAN: Terms of Azerbaijan settlement�Ambassador Allen reports
that, according to an official of the Iranian Foreign Office, the settle-
ment of the Azerbaijan question will be completed within two days and
will provide for the incorporation of the Azerbaijan Army into the
Imperial Iranian Army., In addition, Parliamentary elections are to be
called within about two weeks. Qavam is expected to form his own
political party (independently of the leftist irudeh Party) for action in
later elections.
10. TURKEY: Attacks by Arab press�Ambassador Wilson in Ankara
reports tharla) the press in Arab cceintries recently has charged Turkey
with opposing withdrawal of British troops from Egypt, and (b) the
Turkish Government has protested to Iraq and Egypt that it has taken
no stand on the withdrawal. Wilson comments that the Arab attacks
reflect Turkey's refusal to align itself with the Arabs on Palestine:,
FAR EAST
11, SIAM: Causes of Kin6-st_l jet �et undetermined--Legation Bangkok
reports that the causes of the Zing's death rare still and probably will
remain obscure", The official version is that of accidental death but
rumors as to cause vare from suicide to assassination. The Legation
believes that Prime Minister rradit may institute extra-constitutional
repressive measures, if the opposition exploits the situation by a whis-
pering campaign or open accusations against the Government
12, CHINA: Conditions for reo. -nine Dairen port--US Consul Benninghoff
believes a oviet military control of Dairen (see Daily Summary of
10 June, item 9) Can be ended only by the arrival of legal Chinese Govern-
ment officials who, under the terms of the Sino-Soviet treaty, would be
able to declare the city an open port and reopen communications. He
reports that (a) the early repatriation of some 240,000 Japanese from
Dairen is desirable, but (b) Soviet military authorities say they are
awaiting instructions from Moscow�
13� JAPAN: Commission to inventory Jaynes() Naval vessels�The Soviet
Foreign CiffiTe-fiiii�r-iep ietfb7t-wo US notes re---"Ti-Zx iing the disposition of
Japanese naval and merchant fleets (see Daily Summary of 3 April, item
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12). The Soviet Government believes that (a) an inventory of war
vessels subject to division should be taken now and (b) these vessels
should be released from repatriation work in order to maintain them
In good condition, The Soviet Government proposes that separate com-
missions, including representatives of the four Allied Powers, be formed
to draw up exact lists of the war vessels subject to division and to take
preliminary measures for the disposition of the Japanese merchant fleet,
14, CHINA: Possibility of Young 1!,.tlar3hal's return to Manchuria�The
Commanding General, US Army Forces in China, reports that the Young
Marshal, Chang Hsueh-Liang, may soon be released from Nationalist
protective custody to assume a post in the administration of Manchuria.
THE AMERICAS
15. ARGENTINA: Longshoremen plan s atly_p_m�kilLe�Messersmith
reports that Argentine longshoremen plan to stop work in sympathy
with US maritime unions if the proposed strike materializes on 15
June.
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