124.60P/67: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:50 p.m.]
1103. I informed Lozovski this afternoon that we are doing everything possible to close our Baltic Missions by September 5 but that we are not receiving the cooperation from the Soviet Government and its representatives to which we are entitled and which is necessary in order that liquidation may be accomplished by that date. I then took up with him the delay in issuing visas to members of those missions who have been assigned to Moscow, the effort to apply Soviet customs “norms” to the property of members of those missions, and the question of exit visas for non-American employees. I made emphatic representations on these subjects and left with Lozovski supporting memoranda regarding them.
Lozovski replied that regardless of difficulties our Missions must be closed September 5. I informed him that they would be closed insofar as their functions are concerned but that unless cooperation along the lines alluded to in the preceding paragraph was immediately forthcoming it would be physically impossible to complete the liquidation despite our best efforts. After an argument of some duration Lozovski stated that he would take up the various questions involved with the appropriate authorities this afternoon and endeavor to meet our wishes. I understood him to agree that if it proved to be physically impossible to complete the work of liquidation a reduced personnel including the three officers assigned from this Mission might remain for a very short time for the purpose.
[Page 436]I fear, however, that despite my representations today the situation regarding non-American personnel remains approximately as reported in the Embassy’s 1096 of August 31.38
Repeated to Kaunas, Riga and Tallinn.
- Not printed.↩