This letter was written by a British Foreign Official working in Moscow
at the time the Korean War broke out.
One of his many jobs was to write back to London and keep the Foreign Office
informed about what the Soviet press was saying about important issues.
In this particular report he is explaining how, in his opinion, the Soviet
people were prepared for a conflict with the USA.
At the time of the Korean War, there were many different areas of dispute
between the USA and the Communist powers. One of the most serious causes of
tension was the successful Communist revolution in China in 1949. The USA
refused to accept that the new Communist regime was the true government of
China.
As a result, the invasion of South Korea was something of a surprise.
