EMBASSY OF THE
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
 
February 20, 1942
 
My dear Mr. President:
 
Acknowledging the receipt of your message of
 
13th February, I would like first to say that I
 
share your confidence that the efforts of the newly-
 
appointed Ambassador of the United States to the
 
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Admiral Standley,
 
of whom you speak so highly and in such warm terms,
 
to bring our two countries still closer to one another,
 
will be crowned with success.
     
     Your decision, Mr. President, to place at the
 
disposal of the Soviet Government another billion
 
dollars, in accordance vith the law for the supply of
 
armaments under the Lend-Lease Act, on the same con-
 
ditions which applied to the first billion, is accepted
 
by the Soviet Government with sincere gratitude. With
 
regard to your enquiry I have to inform you that, at
 
the present moment, in order not to delay matters, the
 
Soviet Government is not raising the question of the
 
modification of the conditions attaching to the granting
 
by your Cabinet of the above-mentioned second billion
 
dollars or of taking into consideration the extremely
 
strained state of the resources of the U.S.S.R. in the
 
war against our common foe. At the same time I en-
 
titely agree with you and should like to express the
 
hope that at a later date we shall be able jointly to fix a time when it will appear desirable to both 
 
of us to revise