811.111 Quota 60C/462: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 12—10:56 a.m.]
1002. Department’s 425, August 9, 8 p.m.40 Prior to August 2 the Chief of Consular Section of the Foreign Office informed the Embassy repeatedly that under regulations issued by the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs no non-Soviet nationals in “Western White Russia” and “Western Ukraine” may travel to Moscow for the purpose of applying for non-Soviet passports and that no persons, Soviet or non-Soviet, in these areas may travel to Moscow for the purpose of applying for foreign visaes. On August 2, as reported in my 953 of that date, he modified his previous statements by stating that he would endeavor to obtain permission for the travel to Moscow of only those Americans in these areas bearing expired passports and possessing the necessary funds and transportation for their repatriation. When it was brought to his attention on August 10th that the Embassy continued to receive telegrams from the three persons mentioned in my 953 above mentioned stating that they are unable to receive permission to travel to Moscow he stated that the Commissariat for Internal Affairs had thus far not modified in favor of Americans bearing expired passports its basic regulation restricting all travel from these areas to Moscow.
- Not printed.↩