340.1115A/326: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8—2:40 p.m.]
1048. Department’s telegram number 251, November 28, 7 p.m. In reply to its repeated inquiries the Embassy was informed orally this morning by the Peoples Commissariat for Foreign Affairs that funds may be sent to persons either of Soviet or foreign nationality [Page 636] in Soviet-occupied Poland provided such funds are remitted to the payee through the medium of the Bank for Foreign Trade of the U. S. S. R. which bank will have payment effected through the appropriate local branch of the State Bank of the U. S. S. R. Such remittances will be paid to the payee in Soviet currency at the official rate of exchange. Inasmuch as Soviet currency may not be taken out of the Soviet Union the official making the foregoing statement was requested to make some arrangement whereby American citizens receiving remittances for living and travel expenses may be permitted to receive funds in dollars or otherwise so that they may be in possession of needed funds beyond the Soviet frontier. He stated that he would present the Embassy’s request to the competent authorities.