Saw Vansittart.

In 1939, as Cadogan explained to Eden years later, Vansittart ‘was brought into consultation a good deal on the question of our approach to the Soviet Government, and he was used (I’m not sure why) as a sort of channel to Maisky’; Cadogan papers, ACAD 4/5, 11 Dec. 1961.

He began straight away with Hudson’s visit and argued at length that it must be used to utmost effect. Will this be done? Do we want this? In particular, are we ready to talk with Hudson about matters of politics as well as of trade? Stalin’s and Manuilsky’s

Dmitrii Zakharovich Manuilsky, general secretary of the Executive Committee of the Comintern, 1931–43.

speeches at the Congress raised doubts in British political circles about the Soviet Union’s willingness to cooperate with Western powers. Stalin’s speech about the desire of the British ruling class to push Hitler towards the east has been particularly puzzling.