E J                                                        London
This telegram must be
closely paraphrased be-                       Dated September 18, 1941
fore being communicated
to anyone. (SC)                                    Rec'd 11:45 a.m.
 
Secretary of State,
            
     Washington.              
            
      4354, September 18, 2 p.m.
             PERSONAL AND               FOR THE
PRESIDENT.
     Yesterday I talked with Oumansky. He came
in with Maisky. 0umansky had just gotten word
from Washington that the Russian air contingent
here would not be given either a B-24 or a-B-17.
He tells me they had asked for five large bombers,
that they had agreed to take four medium bombers
but believed that you were going to get them one
large bomber with automatic pilot and he hoped
with a sperry sight. He felt that the arrival of this                                    
ranking group of Russian airmen in one of our
best planes in Moscow would have a marked psycho-
logical effect and lift confidence there.
 
            Since he told me he had had his conversations 
with you personally, I thought I should report the matter 
directly to you. He attached great importance to it.
 
                                        WINANT
 
 
BB