A brief Top Secret cipher telegram was sent by Soviet agent VADIM from London on 10 December 1941, three days after the US naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. The report cites an 8 December wire sent by Halifax, in which he outlines a conversation with US Assistant Secretary of State Dean Acheson about the possibility of the Soviet Union declaring war on Japan. In this way, the US would (in theory) have Soviet airfields to its avail in the USSR’s Far East. Ultimately, the source states that the Soviets would not be pressured into such a move straight away, as they had their hands full trying to fend off German forces in the west.
The translation of VADIM’s report follows.
CIPHER TELEGRAM NO. 8904
From LONDON
Received 13 XII 1941 at 0430 Decoded 13 XII 1941 at 1700
Materials from “Stuart”
On 8 December, [Viscount] Halifax cabled to state that, during a conversation, the American Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs [Assistant Secretary of State Dean Acheson] stressed how greatly important it would be for the Soviet Union to declare war on Japan, since it would provide the American military the ability to use Soviet military bases in the Far East.
Break: In speaking with the source, an employee of the northern branch of the British Foreign Office [Закоулок Кут] (Syote [sic – Съоте]) stated that the English government is already pressuring the Soviet government for the latter to declare war on Japan.
For the time being, it has been decided to not exert pressure, since it is extremely important to provide the USSR the opportunity to hold out against Germany in the west. Nevertheless, depending on the progress of military operations in the Pacific Ocean, this decision could be reconsidered at any moment.
Break: For now, we have no documentary materials on this issue.
10.XII.41 No. 1456 VADIM
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