REPORT BY THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE

[Editor's note: On the night of March 1-2, 1953, Stalin suffered an incapacating stroke from which he never recovered. His illness was announced to e world on March 4 and he died on March 5. This meeting with Under Secrery Smith was called to discuss the import of this event.]

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1953

UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, Washington, D.C.

The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:30 a.m. in the Foreign lations Committee room, U.S. Capitol Building, Senator Alexander iley [Chairman] presiding.

Present: Senators Wiley [Chairman], Smith of New Jersey, Hicklooper, Taft, Ferguson, Knowland, George, Fulbright, Sparkman, llette, Humphrey, and Mansfield.

Also present: Dr. Wilcox, Dr. Kalijarvi, Mr. Marcy, Mr. Holt, r. O'Day, and Mr. Cahn, of the committee staff.

DELAY IN PUBLICATION OF BOHLEN'S TESTIMONY REQUESTED

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order.

First, I want to say, gentlemen, that I have received the following ter from John Foster Dulles, dated the 4th:

have been informed by Mr. [Charles E.] Bohlen on the decision of your Comttee, before which he appeared on Monday, to the effect that his testimony, er suitable revisions and corrections, would be made public in a committee ort.1

The announcement of the serious if not mortal illness of Stalin and the imisibilty of predicting at the present time of the consequences which might v therefrom have caused me to question the desirability at this time of makpublic the testimony of our Ambassador-designate to Moscow. I would be teful to you if you would find it possible to ask the committee to reconsider decision regarding the publication of Mr. Bohlen's testimony until a more >ropriate time which could be decided by consultation between us.

t is my understanding that the publication of Mr. Bohlen's testimony is not uired to act upon his nomination.

n the circumstances, I would hope that a reconsideration of the committee's ision on publication would not delay action on Mr. Bohlen's nomination. Sincerely yours,

Now, that letter speaks for itself.

JOHN FOSTER DULLES.

I am informed by our secretary that Mr. Bohlen had gotten a nscript of the testimony and was in process of revising it when announcement of Stalin's mortal illness came up, and the result that was this letter.

Bohlen testified before the committee on March 2 at a confirmation hearing on his ination to be U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union. See p. 203 above.

Apparently there are certain things in this testimony that they feel. I guess, might be very serious; and there is another question: In talking to Mr. Bohlen about this, he said also that in view of the present world situation, that if he were to revise it at this time, that he would probably have to take out so much of that testimony that in reading it, it would be rather difficult to get a grasp of the whole picture.

Now, that is the situation. I told him that the whole matter would go over until Tuesday. I lay this before you for your consideration. Meanwhile, Mr. Bohlen has the testimony and is working on the revision, and at that time you can decide whether you want it printed. Senator TAFT. I think we ought to agree with the Secretary. Senator GEORGE. I think we should postpone the publication of it

anyway.

Senator TAFT. I think we ought to agree with him.
Senator FULBRIGHT. I agree with that and I so move.

Senator SPARKMAN. I second that.

Senator HUMPHREY. Second it.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there any objection?

Senator HUMPHREY. I was the mover on the motion to have Mr. Bohlen testify, and I feel that if the Secretary of State requests a matter like this to be reconsidered, we ought to comply.

Senator TAFT. He says until a later date; you can bring it up again. The CHAIRMAN. If there is no objection, the previous motion is reconsidered and, for the time being, the matter will not be printed. [There was no objection expressed.]

ACTION ON THE BOHLEN NOMINATION

The CHAIRMAN. Now, General Smith, we are very happy to have you here, and perhaps you can discuss not only the situation upon which you are appearing here today, such information which you can get from the CIA, as the former head of it, but you can also give us some information on this subject that I think is important, and that is, if you have consulted with the Secretary, you probably have, whether or not action should be delayed on Mr. Bohlen's nomination. or whether it should be hurried up, and any considerations to go over until Tuesday.

I would like to get your judgment, if it is based upon the judgment of the Secretary and yourself, as to the advisability of hurrying up that confirmation, or delaying it in view of these world events.

STATEMENT OF HON. WALTER BEDELL SMITH, UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE, ACCOMPANIED BY HORACE SMITH, SENATE LIAISON REPRESENTATIVE, DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Chairman, I have consulted with him and am glad to have a chance to mention this.

We feel, in view of this crisis, and it is a crisis, unquestionably, that everything possible should be done to expedite it. The sooner we get. him there, the better, because there is going to be a very unusual series of developments, one way or the other, and Mr. Bohlen, of course, is the man probably best qualified that we have at the present

sime, and available to go there and make reports during this critical period.

Anything that can be done to expedite that confirmation, and get him on his way, will be to our advantage.

Senator TAFT. Who do you have in charge there now?

Mr. SMITH. Jacob Beam.'

Senator TAFT. Is that B-e-a-m?

Mr. SMITH. В-e-a-m.

Senator FERGUSON. Has he been in Yugoslavia, Belgrade?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, and he is very competent.

Senator TAFT. Is he a counsellor?

Mr. SMITH. Yes, a rather young officer. This is his first tour in Russia. He was at headquarters during the war, assisting as a political adviser, and I met him and he is a very, very fine chap. He doesn't know Russian and doesn't speak Russian.

Senator SMITH of New Jersey. Might I ask if Beam is a nephew of Reilly Prince, who was formerly in Yugoslavia ?

Mr. SMITH. I don't know.

Senator HUMPHREY. Why can't we, Mr. Chairman, confirm Mr. Bohlen, to expedite this matter?

Senator SPARKMAN. Where is Villard now?

Mr. SMITH. I don't know.

Senator SPARKMAN. He was in Moscow.

Mr. SMITH. I don't know.

Senator SPARKMAN. I will ask Mr. Horace Smith: Do you know where he is?

Mr. HORACE SMITH. No, I think he is in North Africa.

Senator SPARKMAN. I think we ought to do it.

Senator FERGUSON. Why don't we hold that until we finish hearing from General Smith?

The CHAIRMAN. Certainly there is no such haste but what within the next few days, Tuesday, could do just as well.

Meanwhile, we will see what the developments are.

Senator KNOWLAND. I think in the meanwhile we ought to give some consideration, the Under Secretary should also talk with the Secretary of State as to whether it would be advisable, if that transcript cannot be properly edited, to have some kind of information that could be on the desk of the Senators.

All I want to avoid is some question being raised, when we will have nothing before us, no hearing and the rest of it, which might be a point; and, whether it would be necessary to hold another hearing and let it go into his own background and capabilities, which, I understand, but which the Senate, without some kind of a hearing, even though a brief one, might start raising an issue, and I think that ought to be considered by the Department.

Senator TAFT. I would not object to having a special meeting tomorrow, or something of that sort, if the haste is so great; but I think Senator Langer and one or two others said that they were not given any notice that it will be taken up here today.

In October 1952, Ambassador George Kennan was declared persona non grata by the Soviet Government and recalled. This followed a September speech given by Kennan in Berlin in which he compared conditions in the Soviet Union with those in Nazi Germany.

72-194-77-vol. V-17

The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, as I said, there will be no difficulty about taking it up Tuesday, and that is within a few days and won't make any difference.

We have the general here for another purpose, and I suggest we go on with the main purpose of this meeting. Will you give us your own interpretation of these world events, and what you think will flow therefrom?

Mr. SMITH. I intended to do a rather unusual thing-and this is not on the record.

[An extended discussion off the record.]

A CONFERENCE OF COMMUNIST LEADERS IN MOSCOW

1

Senator HUMPHREY. Has that ever been brought to the attention of the committee?

Mr. SMITH. No sir; it never has. Those are made by the Central Intelligence Agency and, as you know, the distribution of their analysis is very limited. The State Department, however, at any time this committee likes, can make an analysis which can be given to this committee in executive session, and I should be glad to do it in executive session, provided it is in strict executive session.

I may say again, while there are many things I may say in a session of this kind, and which you read in the newspapers, yet what I tell you is based on information which we believe to be accurate, and which is from extensive sources, whereas the newspaper man writes as his good judgment dictates, and there is a great amount of that. Senator HUMPHREY. I believe that that material is very important. There has been some analysis made of it in the Advanced Institute of Studies at Princeton, and also by a group in New York.

Senator FERGUSON. This last statement went on the record.
Mr. SMITH. Yes.

Senator HUMPHREY. I would like very much, Mr. Chairman, if it is possible at some time in the not too distant future, to have a report on it, because I cannot imagine that we can proceed without an analysis of that report. It seems to be very basic, from all I have heard. Mr. SMITH. We will be glad to give it to you.

The CHAIRMAN. An analysis of what report? You fellows hold your conversations down there between yourselves, in whispers, almost.

Senator HUMPHREY. There was a period of about 30 days, from the latter part of August on. in Moscow when the top leading Communists in the world were called into conference at Moscow, at which time Mr. Stalin delivered a 25,000 word message, and Mr. Malenkov gave a 51⁄2 hour address on the tactics and strategies of the Communist International throughout the world, and apparently that conference had some very important purpose or strategic objectives in Soviet propaganda and action.

I think that is something we ought to know about. That is contemporary history. It may tell us a great deal of what is going on in

The following discussion refers to events surrounding the Congress of the Soviet Communist Party that took place in October 1952. Announcement that the Central Committee had decided in plenary session to convoke the Congress was made on August 20. On October 3 and 4, on the eve of the meetings, Stalin published his "Economic Problems of Socialism in the U.S.S.R." in two successive issues of Pravda. This is the "speech" referret to in the text. The keynote address or main political report to the Congress was delivered not by Stalin but by Malenkov.

such matters as trade, and perhaps problems in the European Defense Community.

Senator FERGUSON. Was this in executive session?

Senator HUMPHREY. What?

Senator FERGUSON. What you are talking about in Moscow, was that in the open, or what?

Senator HUMPHREY. I don't know.

STALIN'S SPEECH

Mr. SMITH. The speeches, Senator, have been published. Stalin's speech, which is a very important one, he calls it the "Economic Problems of Socialism," is a very important and very significant one, and has been published.

Senator HUMPHREY. By the Communist printers.

Senator FULBRIGHT. Have you analyzed what the significance of that Stalin speech is?

Mr. SMITH. Yes, and we have analyzed it in connection with other information which can only be conveyed to this committee in executive session.

Senator SMITH of New Jersey. I think it would be very important to have it.

Senator FERGUSON. They also held a closed session?

Mr. SMITH. Yes, they were all closed.

Senator FERGUSON. Was this in a closed session, later made public by the Communists?

Mr. SMITH. No.

Senator FERGUSON. It was open?

Mr. SMITH. It was a statement, a public speech given publicity in the Moscow press.

Senator SPARKMAN. Your analysis was not restricted to that, you brought other factors into it?

Mr. SMITH. Yes.

Senator SPARK MAN. Mr. Chairman, may I ask the General a question?

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS

Senator SPARKMAN. You said, near the end, that was a general estimate, but did not include the Far East. We hear so much about China, and her tie-up with Russia. I am not sure I ever heard you express yourself. Do you feel that China is a satellite of Russia, or do you agree with these people who think there may still be some hope of breaking China away from Russia?

Mr. SMITH. Senator, I don't think that China is a satellite of Russia, in the sense, for example, that Hungary or Poland are satellites of Russia. I will describe the relationship between China and Russia, that China is being a willing junior partner, and willing junior collaborator. Certainly Peiping takes its major orders from Moscow, and certainly they couldn't continue to operate without the economic and military-that is, material military support of the Soviet Union.