711.62114/11–244
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
The Soviet Ambassador called this afternoon at his request.
The Ambassador stated that he had received a message from his Government stating that it was the practice in the American Army as it advanced to place Russian citizens whom it captured in German uniform in the same prison camps with German soldiers. The Ambassador stated this activity had taken place in France and Italy and he pointed out that these Russian nationals had been forced into the ranks in many cases for service purposes. The Ambassador stated that the American Army’s practice was causing great resentment and he hoped it might be possible for the Department to make arrangements with the Army to place captured Russian nationals in separate prison camps.
During the discussion the question also arose of Russian prisoners in the United States. The Ambassador stated that he had received word that twenty-five had been released but he knew that many thousands were in the United States. He said he had not received a list of Russian prisoners which he had requested last summer and that we had only recently forwarded to him the unsatisfactory note stating that statistics were not available.
I told the Ambassador that I would look into it again.