861.012/202: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 8—1:15 p.m.]
1134. The Moscow press today publishes a ukase of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R., concerning the procedure for the acquisition of Soviet citizenship by citizens of the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian Soviet Socialist Republics. This ukase provides that in accordance with article I of the law concerning citizenship in the U. S. S. R. of August 19, 1938, citizens of the three republics are Soviet citizens from the date of the admission of these republics into the country; U. S. S. R. citizens of the republics who are not within the borders of the Soviet Union and who have not been deprived [of] citizenship by the Soviet governments of the republics must register as Soviet citizens in the missions or consulates abroad of the Soviet government not later than November 1, 1940, either by personal appearance or by sending a statement by mail with their passports attached.41 Persons failing so to register may be accepted as Soviet citizens in accordance with article III of the law concerning citizenship referred to.
Persons without citizenship, belonging to national minorities which, under the political conditions prevailing in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia before the establishment there of Soviet power, could not obtain Latvian, Lithuanian or Estonian citizenship shall acquire Soviet citizenship in accordance with the procedure above provided.
Other persons without citizenship, permanently residing in the three republics, may obtain Soviet citizenship in accordance with article [Page 439] III of the law concerning citizenship in the Soviet Union. Persons who were deprived of Soviet citizenship by the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and of the Soviet of People’s Commissars of the R. S. F. S. R.42 of December 15, 1921, and who are at present within the territory of the three republics, are to be treated in the same way as other persons without citizenship referred to in the beginning of this paragraph.
While this notice did not violate any United States law, the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs, Loy W. Henderson, observed: “I consider this extremely bad taste on the part of Soviet representatives in this country since they know our attitude. In fact Soviet Consulates are exceeding their prerogatives in trying to frighten Baltic nationals to acquire Soviet citizenship.”
- The Soviet Embassy at Washington caused advertisements to be inserted in American newspapers directing the attention of Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians to the procedure for acquiring Soviet citizenship in accordance with the decree of September 8, 1940. See for illustration, the New York Times, September 22, 1940, p. 51.↩
- Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic.↩