311.6121 Gorin, M. N./43: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 25—7:20 a.m.]
582. My 574, March 23, 9 p.m. I saw Lozovski this afternoon with respect to the Gorin matter. He had already received word from Umanski that Gorin was free and said that he understood he was “leaving” within a few days. When I inquired as to the status of the Pyk [Page 946] and Roszkowski cases, he said that Irene Pyk was still in Lwow and that he had given instructions that “she was to be brought to Moscow” where her case would then have to be acted upon by “our Supreme Court.” He said that as the Embassy had furnished the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs with an American passport for Roszkowski and as he was already in Moscow he did not anticipate that there would be any “serious delay” in effecting his release.
Lozovski then inquired of me as to the status of the $10,000 fine imposed upon Gorin and said he assumed that this fine “would not have to be paid, as otherwise it would have to be paid by the Soviet Government.” I replied that I was unable to give him any information as to the status of the fine, whereupon he requested me to inquire of the Department.
I then said that the American Government expected that Devenis and Mrs. Habicht and her children would be released and given exit visas and that Mrs. Scott and Mrs. Magidoff would receive exit visas. Lozovski indicated surprise and said that it was his understanding that only Irene Pyk and Roszkowski were to be released. To this I in turn expressed surprise and inquired of him as to whether Umanski had not advised the Commissariat that the American Government expected the foregoing. Lozovski admitted that Umanski had reported the “interest” of the Department in the Devenis, Habicht, Scott and Magidoff cases but said that it was his understanding that the condition of the release of Gorin was the release of Pyk and Roszkowski. At this point I emphasized the unprecedented action taken by the American Government in releasing Gorin and pointed out to Lozovski the bad impression that would be created should the Soviet Government adopt what I described as a petty bargaining position in return for the gesture made by the American Government. I also emphasized that the Devenis, Habicht, Scott and Magidoff cases had been a source of long continued vexation to me and reminded him that I had discussed these cases with the Commissariat no less than 15 or 20 times during the past year and asked him whether he did not feel that the time had now come when the Soviet Government should accede to our request. He reverted to the fact that Kalinin38 was the individual charged with the granting of exit visas to Soviet citizens based on renunciation of Soviet citizenship whereupon I reminded him that on several occasions recently I had offered to call on Kalinin in person in an endeavor to persuade him to take such action. The upshot of this conversation was his promise “to see what can be done” in the Devenis, Habicht, Scott and Magidoff cases.
- Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin, President (Chairman) of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union.↩