123 Standley, William H./144: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the Secretary of State

335. I intend to return to Moscow in a few days and in the future I expect to spend most of my time there.51 Lozovski informs me that the question of the return of the Diplomatic Corps and Foreign Office to Moscow will not be decided until the military situation has become more clear but that the Chief of the American Section52 will remain in Moscow as long as I do. Because of our shortage of personnel, I feel obliged to consolidate as much of the work as possible in one place and Calder53 and several members of the staff will shortly proceed to Moscow. To the extent that the Foreign Office permits, all matters will be handled in Moscow except visa, passport, protocol and general consular questions. It is requested that telegrams be routed accordingly.

Pending the decision of the Foreign Office, we will be obliged to maintain both houses54 in Kuibyshev and particularly in view of the fact that most of the Diplomatic Corps is remaining in Kuibyshev for [Page 516] the present, the officer in charge in Kuibyshev will incur heavy expenses for entertainment and maintenance of the establishment there. As from March 31, Thompson55 has ceased to draw the special cost of living allowance of $2400 per annum allotted to him to meet expenses incurred in maintaining to [the?] Embassy office in Moscow. I therefore recommend that either this allotment be transferred to the officer in charge at Kuibyshev or that a representation allowance be granted to this officer. I plan for the present to leave Perkins56 in charge in Kuibyshev.

Standley
  1. The necessity for the removal of the American Embassy from Moscow to Kuibyshev in October 1941, is explained in Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, pp. 907911.
  2. Georgy Nikolayevich Zarubin.
  3. Bland A. Calder, First Secretary of Embassy and Consul in the Soviet Union.
  4. These properties were referred to as the Nekrasovskaya building and Sadovaya premises.
  5. Llewellyn E. Thompson, Jr., Second Secretary of Embassy and Consul, in charge of the staff remaining in Moscow after the removal of the Embassy to Kuibyshev.
  6. Warwick Perkins, First Secretary of Embassy and Consul in the Soviet Union.