File No. 811.111/3153
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page)
6790. Under date of February 14, Embassy, Petrograd, reported that following Russian citizens had been given diplomatic passports by the Commissary of the People for Foreign Affairs: … Passports were issued to enable them to proceed to Sweden, Norway, England, France, and the United States.
Embassy reported further that Swedish and Norwegian Legations at Petrograd had visaed passports and that British and French Embassies had done likewise on agreement that bearers would not engage in propaganda in their respective countries.
Foreign Office asked Embassy to visa passports for United States. Embassy replied that matter would have to be submitted to Washington and suggested that in order not to delay departure of holders of passports from Russia, Embassy would request that Department’s decision be sent direct to London or Paris.
Please repeat the foregoing to missions in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and France with instructions not to visa passports without explicit directions from the Department but to watch activities of the foregoing. Keep Department advised and should they present passports for visa state that no instructions had been received from the Department and offer to telegraph for same.