811.79661/74: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley)
508. Your 716, June 23, 3 p.m. In view of the last paragraph of Department’s number 490, June 28, 9 p.m., the Department does not consider it desirable to attempt at this time to achieve reciprocity in [Page 673] connection with Soviet officials proceeding to the United States via Alaska. However, in order to regularize this increasing traffic and to prevent the unannounced arrival in Alaska of Soviet aircraft and personnel en route to the United States or Canada, please communicate the following information to the Soviet Foreign Office:
- 1.
- Permission for Soviet aircraft to fly in transit through Alaska en route to the United States or Canada must be requested by the Soviet Government through regular diplomatic channels either through the American Embassy in Moscow or through the Soviet Embassy in Washington. The Soviet request should be accompanied by the customary information giving description of the plane, flight plan from Siberia to Alaska, expected time and place of arrival in Alaska, the names of the crew and passengers. The Department upon receipt of requests of this nature will undertake to clear with the appropriate military authorities.
- 2.
- Applications for visas for Soviet personnel intending to proceed through Alaska should state that the point of entry into the United States is to be Alaska. These applications will then be submitted by the Embassy to the Department in the usual manner. When the visa is issued, it should bear the Embassy’s notation “valid for travel via Alaska”. The purpose of these requirements is to prevent in the future the unannounced and unauthorized entry of Soviet aircraft and Soviet citizens into Alaska which has recently been increasing. You may point out to the Soviet authorities that these requirements in regard to aircraft and passengers are for the purpose of insuring the safety of the plane itself as well as to avoid the inevitable delays and confusion which are sure to accompany a failure to observe these requirements.
The new procedure does not, of course, apply to ferry pilots and members of the Soviet ferrying service proceeding on official business between Siberia and Alaska.