Your message on the designation of Major-General F. Bradley, Captain Duncan and Colonel Michela as the U.S. representatives at the Moscow conference has reached me. The U.S. delegates will be given every assistance in carrying out their assignment.

On the Soviet side the conference will be attended by Major-General Sterligov, Colonel Kabanov and Colonel Levandovich. As regards the survey flight, we could in the next few days send a plane from Krasnoyarsk to Nome - I mean an American twin-engine aircraft - which could take on the U.S. officers on its way back from Nome.

I take this opportunity to thank you for the news about the despatch of an additional hundred and fifteen tanks to the U.S.S.R. I consider it my duty to warn you that, according to our experts at the front, U.S. tanks catch fire very easily when hit from behind or from the side by anti-tank rifle bullets. The reason is that the high-grade gasoline used forms inside the tank a thick layer of highly inflammable fumes. German tanks also use gasoline, but of low grade which yields smaller quantities of fumes, hence, they are more fireproof. Our experts think that the diesel makes the best tank motor.