702.4161/13: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 13—6:30 a.m.]
7. The Embassy has learned from confidential and reliable sources that the Soviet Government has recently requested the British, Latvian, Norwegian, Estonian and Swedish Governments to close their consular offices in Leningrad. The Italian and German Consulates in Leningrad have already been closed at the request of the Soviet [Page 506] Government and it is understood that the Danish Government will be requested in the near future to close its Consulate. It is possible that the Polish and Finnish Consulates will be allowed to function at least for the time being.
I understand that the British Ambassador3 called at the Foreign Office yesterday for the purpose of protesting the order and that several of the other governments concerned have also instructed their Missions to insist that their consular offices in Leningrad be left open in accordance with existing treaties. It appears that the Soviet Government plans to permit no country to maintain more consular offices in the Soviet Union than the Soviet Government maintains in it. Turkey for instance is being requested to reduce the number of its Consulates in the Soviet Union.
- The Rt. Hon. Viscount Chilston, G.C.M.G.↩