361.11 Employees/377
Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by Mr. Edward Page, Jr., of the Division of European Affairs
Mr. A. O. Hartley, of the Max B. Miller and Company, Incorporated, New York, telephoned this morning and stated that the Soviet authorities had requested the seven engineers of his company to depart from the Soviet Union, and that four engineers had already left. Mr. Hartley requested the Department to telegraph Moscow at his expense and endeavor to confirm this information, and to ascertain the whereabouts and travel plans of the three engineers remaining and their families. He stated that he did not know the reasons for the decision of the Soviet authorities to request the engineers to leave, and was surprised at this move, in as much as the oil refinery under construction at Grozny by his company had not yet been put into operation. Mr. Hartley stated that Willis, Hackstaff and Midlam were the names of the engineers still in the Soviet Union.