124.613/983: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:02 p.m.]
507. The Soviet employees of the Embassy are apprehensive of the effect of the war on the internal situation in the Soviet Union and the consequence of such effect on them in that they have already had evidence that [for?] all Soviet nationals closely associated with foreigners it will involve more [surveillance?] than heretofore by their Government. The first concrete result of such apprehension is the resignation effective in 1 month of Victor Sniffer, senior translator and the most valuable research worker in the Mission. Three other translators, in addition to some of the chauffeurs, messengers, and other minor employees now assert increasing dissatisfaction with the Embassy’s failure to obtain salary adjustments for them effective July 1 (see [Page 855] Embassy’s despatch No. 2034 of January 22 this year57) and their dissatisfaction with the compensation received by them when coupled with their apprehension creates the possibility that they will terminate their services as soon as employment outside the Embassy becomes available.
- Not printed.↩