Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, General, The Soviet Union, Volume I

124.61/184: Telegram

Washington , June 26, 1941—5 p.m.

844. Your 1231, June 26, 3 p.m.

1.: We have full confidence in your judgment and leave matters regarding disposition of State Department personnel to your discretion.
2.: War Department general instructions are that Attachés should continue to observe. They should not, however, remain in any city [Page 888] that is about to be occupied by the Germans or take any chances of falling into German hands.
3.: Please keep Department informed in so far as possible of whereabouts and plans of American staff.
4.: Soviet employees may be maintained on the payroll while any American members of the mission remain in Moscow. More detailed instructions will follow in the near future.4 You are authorized to have limited number of Soviet employees accompany you while in the Soviet Union.
5.: Your suggestions with regard to codes are approved. Department assumes that you will take precautions which will eliminate the possibility of the confidential codes falling into hands other than those members of the staff who are authorized to make use of them. Preparations should be made for the destruction of the codes left with Thompson in the event of immediate danger. The brown code is still considered as confidential.

Welles