800.01B11 Registration—Ovakimian, Gaik (Dr.)/24

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Henderson)

I telephoned the Soviet Ambassador late this afternoon and informed him that the appropriate officials of this Government had given careful consideration to his suggestion that the State Department request that the hearings of the Ovakimian case be postponed until the Soviet Embassy had completed its discussions with the Department of State with regard to that case. I said that the decision had been reluctantly taken that such a request on the part of the Department would serve no useful purpose and that it was felt that if there was reason for the postponement of the hearings of the Ovakimian case, the lawyer representing Mr. Ovakimian would be the appropriate party to make a request for a postponement.

The Ambassador asked when he could expect a reply to the note which he had handed Mr. Welles. I said that it was our hope that [Page 976] the note of reply would reach him either this evening or in the morning. Following our conversation, I have ascertained that the note had already been initialed by the Secretary and is going forward to the Soviet Embassy this evening.