702.6111/236
The Acting Secretary of State to Mr. A. R. Feil
Sir: In reply to your letter of November 25, 1933, requesting an official ruling with respect to the present status of the former Russian Consulate General at New York, you are advised that on November 17, 1933, the Department informed by telegraph the Russian Consuls General and Consuls recognized by this Government that in view of the recognition of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by the Government of the United States, their exequaturs had been revoked effective as of November 16, 1933, and that consequently their status as Russian consular officials was considered as terminated on that date.
Such a telegram was not sent to Mr. Oustinoff, formerly Russian Consul General at New York, who has been abroad since July 1929, since he had already been dropped earlier in the present year by the Department from the list of foreign consular officers recognized by this Government, following the receipt of information to the effect that he was not expected to return to the United States in the near future.
In view of the foregoing and of the fact that this Government has recognized the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, your office should not hold itself out to be a Russian Consulate General and should not undertake to perform consular functions.
Very truly yours,
Assistant Secretary