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EZESSEEE SSERSEES THE ATIORWEY GENERAL . May 18, 1948 msoo08, 39 ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED S@PRHESTTER To STALIN BY HENRY WALLAG EEN io UNGL SOFIED “DATE 5/27/83 BY se iasicoe In accordance with your telephonic instructions, a Bureau official today called-upen Under Secretary of State Robert Lovett for the purpose of obtaining any information in his possession relative to the publication of the open letter to Stalin by HenryWallace. : Mr, Lovett stated that he wanted to report a set of circumstances which might show some prior knowledge on the part of Mr. Wallace of the exchange of notes between the United States Government and the Russian Goverment. i. Lovett referred to Sergeant James WM. AloMOlin, Jr., who had been a code clerk in the United States: Babassy in de who recenfily defected and turned himself over to the Russian officials. Ur, 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 frst, that the ‘United States Qidn't want war and secondly, that the United States would not, however, be pushed around. The Ambassador wired back agreeing with the message and then advised that he had conferred with Holotev, who had been umuisually polite and friendly. ‘the message going to Ambassador Snith was sent on May 4. Ambassader Smith hed seen Molotavgat 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 9. The message from Ambassador Smith to the State Department had left Hoscow at 1200 a.n.,. Honday, May 10, and reached the Department of State in Washingten on Monday, May 10, 3:43 am. It was a top secret, eyes only, message. ur. Lovett stated that subseqkently on Monday evening, May 10, between 8:60 and 9200, the Moscow radio broa cast excerpts from the exchange of notes. London ‘Picked this up and CBS first put any reference to the exchange of notes ‘On @ news cast at 9:00 p.m., Monday, May 10. It was carried at 11:00 p.m. on the sane night. & a | ur. Lovett stated that from here on the information is. své@ulation~ ony: te Stated that he had learned that lr. Wallace hed scheduled g-lafke _ meeting for Tuesday night, May 11, at Madison Square Garden; that sofietinig-::* between midnight Monday and the time of the meeting, Mr. Walladethad: Ahan a mh op printed and digtribated bis open letter in order that it would ‘bE inthe Fandgs jandss of ail persons attending his mecting on Tuesday night. He stated, hé that if it can be’ shown that Wallace's letter was printed prior to the“timr of the Moscow broadcast, it would indicate that possibly lMcltillin couléhave ‘ipped off the Russian Government, who could have coumicated directly or indirectly with ir. Wallace and arranged>fervth¥t idsisnce of such a letter. i sti Lovett stated that Mr. Wallace has £ wa ge of his proposed open letter after the sal tat menopaerts : fhe Agkeage {OX uow~minbed out that it would have had to A x Tracy; sonetime 5 ines BObeS Was mentioned on the Anerican tadle. ‘ie anf made the§stiatenent that he revised the Whe notes. Mr. Lev eee ) ' a AS LAGS q a ear d POM eee © ice gh eine e. Ooms pi } pe ee Bo “am oN fh : ye ° i iguse This | a . mre UA aera, \)) 5 aac Mise Gandy rc ; t. ee Sa en rg i