300.115(39) City of Flint/43: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 27—12:05 p.m.]
815. My 810, October 27, 10 a.m. I have now succeeded twice in getting through to the port of Murmansk by telephone but have failed to establish contact with the Captain of the City of Flint despite assurances that arrangements had been made in advance for his presence at the agreed time. In my opinion the failure on two occasions of the Captain to be at the telephone at the appointed time indicates that the Soviet Government is endeavoring to prevent me from speaking with him or a member of the crew. I have accordingly just sent the following note to Potemkin:
“My dear Mr. Potemkin: Since the receipt of information from you on the evening of October 25 that the American crew of the American vessel City of Flint was at Murmansk, I have been endeavoring, but without success, to establish telephone communication with them. The telephone authorities have repeatedly assured me that arrangements would be made for me to speak to the Captain of the City of Flint and on two occasions designated the time but when I obtained a communication with Murmansk I was informed that the Captain was not available.
“In view of the fact that I have been specifically instructed by my Government to establish immediate communication with the Captain of the City of Flint and by reason of my undoubted right of communication with American citizens in the Soviet Union, I hereby request [Page 996] that you be so good as to cause the appropriate authorities to place me in telephone communication today with the Captain of the City of Flint at Murmansk.
Believe me my dear Mr. Potemkin I am sincerely yours, Laurence A. Steinhardt.”