138USSR/599: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:10 p.m.]
914. My 573, May 23, noon.31 The Soviet authorities have consistently refused to permit American citizens in Soviet-occupied Poland to come to Moscow thereby depriving those Americans with expired passports or without passports of any opportunity to appear at the Embassy in order to apply for new passports, and limiting the Americans who can be evacuated from the above-mentioned area to those bearing valid passports. This situation which has obtained since the Soviet forces entered Poland more than 10 months ago is now entering its next logical phase, the forcing of these marooned Americans to accept Soviet passports and Soviet citizenship in order to keep a roof over their heads and to obtain a means of making a [livelihood].
The first of these cases of the new phase is that of Edward Krysiak—bearer of Warsaw Consulate General passport No. 3300 issued on November 10, 1937, and now residing at Bialystok. His passport expired on November 10 last year since which date he has been unrelenting in his efforts to obtain from the authorities at Bialystok permission to travel to Moscow. He now telegraphs to the Embassy that the Militsiya at Bialystok wants him to accept a Soviet passport. The Embassy has telegraphed the following message to Krysiak in the Russian language:
“You should explain to the Soviet authorities at Bialystok that the Embassy is prepared to furnish you a valid passport upon your personal appearance in Moscow and that the only reason for your not having a valid American passport today is the failure of the authorities to grant you permission to travel to Moscow. With regard to the efforts of the Soviet authorities to prevail upon you to accept a Soviet passport in the event efforts are made to force you to accept a Soviet passport involuntarily you may inform the Soviet authorities that any attempt on the part of those authorities to force any American citizen to bear a Soviet passport involuntarily is a matter of the gravest concern of this Embassy and will be brought to the urgent attention of the Government of the United States of America.”
During the past 2 months the Embassy has addressed invitations to Krysiak and 216 other persons in Soviet-occupied Poland requesting that they appear in person at the Embassy for the purpose of applying for passport services. The Embassy informs the Foreign Office in writing of the name and address of each person thus invited and solicits the good offices of the Foreign Office with a view to facilitating that person’s travel to Moscow but as stated above the Embassy’s efforts in this regard have thus far been fruitless. It is believed that [Page 147] an examination of further documents and correspondence which have been received from or with regard to alleged American citizens in Poland will enable the Embassy to issue similar invitations to some 30 to 40 more persons in the course of the next few days. The total number of Americans in Soviet-occupied Poland is still unknown as correspondence establishing new cases is received daily.
Inasmuch as no reply has been received to my No. 573 under reference I shall appreciate receiving the Department’s instructions.
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