861.20211 Kravchenko/12–844
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs (Bohlen) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: I don’t know whether Mr. Dunn spoke to you about this or not. When Mr. Davies was in the other day, Mr. Dunn and he and I discussed thoroughly the Kravchenko case, and Mr. Davies said he would be glad to talk with the Attorney General in the premises next week. Both Mr. Dunn and I felt that this might be helpful since Mr. Davies could say things personally and informally to Justice which we could not do officially.
The most we could do officially is what was stated in the letter you signed to the Attorney General,37 namely that the Department of State has no interest whatsoever in this man and is particularly not attempting in the slightest to protect him based on his former official status. Mr. Davies, however, could privately tell the Attorney General that we would like to have this case disposed of in the most satisfactory manner in accordance with American law and remove a possible bone of contention with the Soviet Government. In other words, privately we would like to see this fellow out of the country.
Mr. Dunn agreed that it might be a good idea to tip off the Attorney General not to reply to our letter until Mr. Davies has had an opportunity to talk with him. You may, therefore, care merely to telephone the Attorney General and tell him that next week Mr. Davies will want to speak to him on the Kravchenko case and to withhold reply until then, without, however, intimating in any way the line Mr. Davies will take.
- Dated December 6, supra.↩