In a telephone call from New York, this morning, Mr. Pearson gave us his views on what action might appropriately be taken in the event that an official announcement is made of the death of Prime Minister Stalin. He suggested that you, together with the Acting Minister, if he is in town, might wish to call in the Soviet Chargé d'Affaires and express the sympathy of the Canadian people with the peoples of the Soviet Union in the loss of Prime Minister Stalin, who led them so gallantly during our common struggle in the Second World War. Mr. Teplov1 might also be informed that instructions had been given to the Canadian Chargé d'Affaires in Moscow to inform the Soviet Government officially of the regrets of the Canadian Government.
2. If you agree with this suggestion, I shall cable appropriate instructions to our Chargé d'Affaires in Moscow, and inform him of the action planned here.
3. After seeing Mr. Teplov, you might wish to make a statement, either in the House or to the Press,2 reporting the action which had been taken by you in Ottawa and by our Embassy in Moscow.
4. The Department of External Affairs will, of course, receive many questions from the Press concerning the significance of Prime Minister Stalin's illness and the probable repercussions of his death. It is not proposed to make any statement for attribution. Off the record, the Department is discounting the possibility of a "palace revolution" or dramatic struggle for the succession, on the grounds that the Soviet Government has been in undisputed power for many years and must be assumed to have made adequate preparation for the orderly transfer of power. The intention is to discourage excited speculation on a startling change in Soviet policy, either in the form of alarmist views that Stalin's death may lead to war, or undue optimism that his disappearance from the scene may pave the way to a general settlement.
L.D. W[ILGRESS]
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1
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L.F. Teplov
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2
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Saint-Laurent a paraphé le document. The document was initialled by St. Laurent.
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