361.1121 Provenick, William/4
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 23.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction of May 18, 1938 (File No. 361.1121 Provenick, William/2[3],47 furnishing information concerning the citizenship status of William Provenick, who was reported to have been arrested by the Soviet authorities in Leningrad,48 and to state that the Embassy has received a note, No. 3.3.534–Am dated June 25, 1938, from the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in which the Embassy was informed that William Provenick is a citizen of the [Page 722] Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and in view of that fact the People’s Commissariat is unable to make a request for the information desired by the Embassy regarding his whereabouts.
Although William Provenick is apparently a person of dual nationality, the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs evidently does not find it convenient to oblige the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs with information concerning such persons. A similar attitude was adopted by the Soviet authorities in the cases of Peter Krassnoff, Ivan Dubin, George Sviridoff, as well as other persons of dual nationality who were reported arrested in the Soviet Union and about whom this mission made inquiries at the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs.
It is doubtful whether the Embassy will be able to obtain any information from official sources regarding the whereabouts or welfare of William Provenick.
Respectfully yours,
Chief of Consular Section