138 USSR/604: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt)
558. If the situation reported in your 573, May 23, noon,61 914, July 26, 3 p.m., and 1002, August 12, noon, still prevails, you are instructed to make emphatic representations to the Soviet authorities with a view to obtaining permission for American citizens in Soviet-occupied Poland to proceed without hindrance to Moscow whenever necessary for obtaining citizenship services. You may desire to point out that these American citizens are not under the jurisdiction of the Soviet Government through their own volition but only because of a situation resulting from war and occupation of certain Polish territories by the Soviet Army. You may, at your discretion, add that refusal to permit Americans to proceed to Moscow for citizenship services is inconsistent with the rules of international comity and raises grave doubts as to the safety of American citizens in any territories under Soviet control; that restrictions upon their freedom to travel to Moscow for this purpose are considered analogous to detention and is a matter of grave concern to this Government; and that granting of Soviet citizenship to American citizens in Soviet-occupied Poland who have endeavored to proceed to Moscow to obtain American citizenship services would in general be considered by this Government as having been granted under circumstances amounting to duress and consequently invalid from the standpoint of this Government.
Message of the character telegraphed to Edward Krysiac approved. Similar message may be addressed to other American citizens.
- Not printed.↩