711.94114 Mail/34: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 12—10:52 a.m.]
1915. Department’s 1178, November 8, 10 p.m.16 The Embassy has still received no reply to its note of August 23 to which reference was made in the Embassy’s telegram 1468, September 25, 4 p.m. The matter was discussed again with the Foreign Office on November 10. The Chief of the American Section stated that it was his impression that mail sent overland through the Soviet Union, to which reference was made in the Department’s 726, August 20, 6 p.m., was piling up in Soviet Pacific ports pending completion of arrangements for its onward shipment to Japan. He promised to investigate this matter and communicate further with the Embassy. He made it clear that the Soviet Government, while ready to cooperate in the transmission of mail to prisoners of war and civilian internees in Japan, is anxious that such mail not accumulate in Soviet ports. He inquired concerning the present status of negotiations with the Japanese Government for the receipt of both mail and parcels for Americans detained in Japan and whether similar privileges were extended to Japanese subjects in American custody. Zarubin was informed that the Embassy has no recent information on these points but that it was assumed that the negotiations with the Japanese had not yet been satisfactorily completed and that Japanese subjects in [Page 824] the United States if not already receiving parcels and mail would be permitted to do so upon the granting of reciprocal privileges to Americans detained in Japan.