The Soviet Government asked the U.S. Government an embarrassing question and got an embarrassing answer. Through Ambassador to France, Admiral William D. Leahy, Moscow asked the U.S. to take over Moscow's representation in Vichy, Vichy's in Moscow. By the ordinary usage of diplomatic etiquette, the U.S. should have politely acceded: Russia had severed relations with the Vichy Government, was technically a near-ally of the U.S., and the U.S. and Vichy are still on terms of technical friendship.
But if the U.S. said yes, it would then become the official representative of all Russians in France—including the gentry of the Communist Third International....
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