123 Klieforth, Alfred W.: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 10—8:30 a.m.]
2487. ReDepts 1399, June 23. Vyshinsky has written me along following lines:
“Soviet authorities have investigated Klieforth incident. Investigation has established that apartment Klieforth was inspecting had elonged to one Gerberstein a German who had received it from German authorities and had lived in it up to liberation of Prague at which time he went into hiding. From May 19 on, apartment was occupied by Red Army soldiers.
“When Klieforth and party entered apartment in question there were two Red Army chauffeurs and one sergeant in it. No Soviet officer was in apartment. Upon Klieforth’s entry Red Army men inquired who they were, why they had come and requested Klieforth and those accompanying him to show their documents. During conversation the former house worker of Gerberstein, Anbrosheva, entered apartment. She stated that among the visitors was a German who had gone into hiding. Sergeant then requested all the visitors to go to adjacent commandant’s office. All the witnesses, including Anbrosheva, confirmed that sergeant was not rude and uttered no threats.
“After visitors had left apartment Russian sergeant, knowing that there was a German among them, insisted that they go to commandant’s office. This phase of conversation took place near a garage by which stood a sentry. Previously this sentry had not permitted visitors to enter garage. Sergeant instructed guard to watch after the automobile which visitors had left behind. Statement to effect that sergeant was discourteous to American flag does not correspond to facts. At time of conversation outside house the guard was standing at door of the machine and he consequently could not touch the flag which was on the front of machine near headlights. Competent Soviet authorities who carried out investigation are of the opinion that there was no forceful or insulting actions whatsoever on part of sergeant or Red Army men. Incident was result of misunderstanding due to fact that Klieforth and sergeant did not understand one another since conversation was in different languages and also to fact that Klieforth was accompanied by German who was identified by Anbrosheva. This could not help but bring about suspicious attitude towards visitors on part of Russian soldiers.
“In view of aforementioned, Soviet Govt sees no basis for a protest or for advancing any claims against sergeant or Russian soldiers who were with him.”
Dept may wish to keep the tenor of this note in mind, which in substance completely rejects Klieforth’s statements as false, when replying to Soviet protests regarding, for example, alleged firing by [Page 476] American vessels on Soviet balloons in Murmansk51 of treatment of Soviet POWs in US.52
Sent Dept as 2487; rptd Prague 16.
- For documentation regarding the Murmansk balloon incident, see vol. v, pp. 860–875, passim. ↩
- For documentation relative to the treatment and reciprocal repatriation of American and Soviet prisoners of war, see ibid., pp. 1067 ff.↩