AR                                 Moscow
This telegrarm must be 
closely paraphrased be-                 Dated December 20, 1941
fore being communicated 
to anyone.  (SC)                        Rec'd 4:45 a.m; 21st
 
Secretary of State,
     
     Washington,
 
     TRIPLE PRIORITY
 
     12, December 20, 9 p.m. (SECTION ONE)
 
     My 10, December 19, 6 p.m.
 
          Eden confirmed the statements made to me yesterday by Molotov and expressed the fear
that Soviet insistence that a commitment be entered into at this time recognizing the Soviet
frontiers of 1941 may make it impossible for him to reach an understanding with respect to post
war, i.e., construction. In this connection he stated that the Soviet demands not only embrace the
Baltic states and Bessarabia but also seem to imply some expansion to the west, presumably by
advancing the Lithuanian borders into East Prussia. It also appears to be desired by the Soviets
that in addition to the reestablishment of the Finnish frontier certain additional naval and air bases
in Finland must be obtained. Eden said that he had based his opposition to the Soviet desire
for an