Motion Picture MP2002-298
Administrative Information
W. Averell Harriman discusses how well informed President Truman was on events since the Yalta conference. Mr. Harriman claims that Stalin fulfilled his military agreements, but was not offering post war cooperation. Sound only.
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Shot List
Reel 1
| 0:00 | Unidentified voice says "1080, take 1." | |
| W. Averill Harriman states that as ambassador to Moscow, he returned to Washington after Franklin D. Roosevelt died, to report to President Truman on events since the Yalta conference. Stalin was not living up to his agreements. Mr. Harriman wanted to warn President Truman that Premier Stalin was not allowing free elections in Eastern Europe countries as had been agreed on at Yalta. | ||
| 2:00 | Mr. Harriman discusses his amazement when he found that President Truman already knew of these developments, that he had read and understood all of the messages between Harriman and Roosevelt. Harriman states that he continued to be impressed with how much Truman read and how well informed he was. Later when Russian Foreign Minister Molotov visited Washington, Truman made it clear that Stalin would be expected to live up to the Yalta agreements. | |
| 3:20 | Mr. Harriman discusses going to the United Nations in San Francisco. Secretary of State Stettinius was being criticized for not agreeing with Molotov. With the permission of Mr. Stettinius, Harriman had meetings with reporters and columnists, declaring that our objectives and the Kremlin’s objectives were irreconcilable, that we had to find a way “to live on the small planet without war.” | |
| 4:50 | Mr. Harriman discusses how Stalin was regarded as our "gallant ally" and some wanted Harriman recalled for criticizing Stalin. Stalin had fulfilled his military agreements, but Harriman believed he was not offering post war cooperation. | |
| 5:16 | Mr. Harriman states that President Truman went to Potsdam with his "eyes wide open." Because Potsdam was largely a ratification of plans that had been previously made, not a lot could be changed. He views Secretary Byrnes as inexperienced and hates the new team for the British- Attlee and Bevin. Harriman states that "we did our best" and made a sincere effort to establish peace with the Soviet Union. It was important for the world to see that it was not the United States and the British that were at fault. "It was the Soviet Union." | |