711.61/623

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State

No. 506

Sir: With reference to my telegram No. 197 of July 29, 1 p.m.,36 summarizing two articles appearing in the Moscow Pravda and Moscow Izvestiya, respectively, of that date, which relate to the visit of the American naval vessels to Vladivostok in the latter part of July, I have the honor to enclose full translations of those articles.37

It may be observed that for more than three years no articles so friendly in tone towards the United States have been published in the Soviet press. It is believed that among the factors responsible for these expressions of friendliness for the United States are:

(a)
A growing feeling that the formulators of Soviet foreign policy underestimated the potential importance for the Soviet Union of the friendship of the United States, and overestimated their ability to build dependable alliances for the Soviet Union in Europe;
(b)
A belief that the United States is planning to take a more active interest in world affairs, particularly in the Far East;
(c)
A desire to strengthen Soviet prestige, which, has sharply declined of late, by making it appear to the world that there is a rapprochement between the United States and the Soviet Union.

It may be pointed out that the expressions of friendliness towards the United States which have appeared in the Soviet press have not been accompanied thus far by a noticeable change in attitude of the Soviet authorities towards this Mission or towards American citizens in general.

The anti-foreigner campaign which continues to be waged unceasingly makes no exceptions, in so far [as] American citizens are concerned. At no time since the establishment of this Mission have foreigners, including Americans, been so isolated from Soviet life as they are at the present time. Even American citizens, such as Louis Fischer, who have served and who still serve as propaganda and information-gathering agents for the Soviet Union, state that many of their Soviet acquaintances now make it plain that they desire to have no dealings with any foreigners whatsoever.

During the months of July and August more than fifty American citizens who came to Leningrad on cruise ships for the purpose of spending several days in the Soviet Union were not permitted to land, notwithstanding the fact that they were in possession of valid Soviet visas.38 The Soviet Government in July, for the third consecutive summer, refused to permit representatives of the Department of Agriculture to visit Soviet Central Asia even though those representatives had pointed out that their visit was in connection with their endeavor to develop a new type of sugar cane which could grow in northerly climates, a development which would be of value to the Soviet Union as well as to the United States. During the last few weeks the Embassy has received dozens of telegrams from more or less prominent American citizens requesting aid in obtaining Soviet visas. Many of these persons had visited the Soviet Union previously and had never before encountered visa difficulties. Even the American Military Attaché at Riga failed to receive any reply to his application for a Soviet visa which would permit him to visit the city of Leningrad. The Soviet Legation in Riga did not issue a visa to Mr. Page, the Secretary of the American Legation there who had been assigned to Moscow, until several days after his application therefor, and then [Page 390] did so apparently only after this Mission had made strenuous representations to the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs.

Among the numerous articles appearing in the Soviet press relating to the manner in which foreigners engage in espionage was one to the effect that an American cotton specialist and an agent of the intelligence service of a foreign Power, had endeavored to introduce the boll weevil into the cotton fields of Turkestan. The Embassy has informally requested the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs to furnish it with details regarding this case. So far the Commissariat has been unable to supplement the information set forth in the article in question.

One is inclined to wonder whether, in view of the manner in which the Soviet Government is inculcating hatred for, and suspicion of, all foreigners regardless of nationality in the minds of its citizens, that Government seriously desires genuinely friendly relations between the Soviet Union and any other country. It remains to be seen whether the inhabitants of a totalitarian State can be so disciplined and subordinated that that State may at will have friendly or unfriendly relations with other states regardless of the fact that the masses of its populations have not been permitted to have any direct or indirect contact with the inhabitants of other countries and have been taught to hate and distrust all foreigners.

Respectfully yours,

Loy W. Henderson
  1. Not printed.
  2. Neither printed.
  3. The Chief of the Consular Section of the Embassy at Moscow, Angus I. Ward, reported in despatch No. 687, October 29, 1937, that difficulties regarding Soviet visas had increased during the summer of 1937. “The Soviet authorities repeatedly refused to state any reason for the refusal of a visa or the admission of a tourist after he had arrived at a border post with a valid Soviet visa issued after preliminary communications had been conducted with Moscow by the Soviet Consulate abroad.” It was presumed that the unreasonable actions of the Soviet authorities were attributable “in some way” to the “general internal political situation and the campaign against foreign espionage.” (861.111/738)