CAB129-78 — Page 233

Soviet Reaction

Page 233

The Soviet Chargé d'Affaires called on the Permanent Under- Secretary on 29th November, and left a note with him, of which the following is the text:

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According to the British press, on the 22nd of November, a spokesman of the British Foreign Office made a statement on behalf of the British Government in connection with the speech made by N. A. Bulganin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, at a joint session of the two Houses of the Indian Parliament.

"I have been instructed to draw the attention of the Foreign Office of Great Britain to the fact that in the said statement the spokesman of the Foreign Office used expressions which are inconsistent with the nature of relations existing between our two countries."

2. Speech by Mr. Khrushchev on 24th November at Bombay

British Version

Reuter's report: datelined Bombay 24th November:-

"The English came to our country, the French landed in Odessa, the Americans followed the English example, and the Japanese followed suit. What happened everybody knows. All these troops were thrown out of our country in the same way as a housewife throws out garbage from the house. But (he said) this was not enough. All these gentlemen-they started the Second World War, they sent new troops against our country and these troops were the tribes of Hitlerite Germany."

Soviet Version

Published in Soviet News in London on 29th November:-

"And they not only said it, but hurled their forces against the young Soviet State. The French invaders landed at Odessa, the British at Archangel, the Americans at Vladivostok; the Japanese soon followed them there.

"What came of it is well known. The invaders were swept out by the Soviet people as a good housewife sweeps out her house. But this was not enough for some of the gentry. They wanted to stage a comeback and organised the Second World War. They hurled against the USSR the huge armed forces of Hitler Germany."

Indian Version

Agency report published in Indian newspapers on 26th November:-

"For instance, the English came to our country, the French landed in Odessa, the Americans followed the English example and the Japanese followed suit.

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What happened everybody knows. All these troops were thrown out of our country the same way as a housewife throws out garbage from the house.

"But this was not enough for these gentlemen. They started World War Two. They sent new troops against our country. And these troops were the troops of Hitlerite Germany. They invaded our country."

Further Indian version carried in the Times of India on 1st December; datelined Calcutta, 30th November:-

"They not only said so but threw their armies against the young Soviet State. French interventionists landed at Odessa, the English at Archangel, the Americans at Vladivostok and the Japanese followed them. What came out of this? It is well known to everyone. The invading forces were swept out by the Soviet people as a good housewife sweeps the rubbish out of her house.

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But this was enough for some States. They wanted to repeat this and organised the Second World War. They threw against the USSR the enormous armed forces of Hitlerite Germany."

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