6 July 1943, No. 82

July 6, 1943. Wilgress reports on improvements in Anglo-Soviet relations, giving a great deal of credit to Winston Churchill and Archibald Clark Kerr for penetrating the Soviet “wall of suspicion.” Also contributing to the thaw were wartime aid to the Soviet Union, the Anglo-Soviet Alliance, and the Churchill-Stalin talks. Wilgress favoured Churchill’s persistent efforts to keep Stalin informed in an attempt to gain Stalin’s confidence in the goodwill of the Western Allies. Wilgress notes a considerable lack of communication between Roosevelt and Stalin, and that the communication that took place was not as amicable as the Anglo-Soviet correspondences. Wilgress was convinced that the breakdown in mistrust was due to common Anglo-Soviet interest in maintaining functioning relations both during and after the war. Wilgress was especially impressed with the Soviets’ appreciation of alliance with the British, calling the recognition of mutualism the “cornerstone” of Soviet foreign policy.