740.00119 Control (Hungary)/5–2345: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 24—2:40 p.m.]
1726. Re Budapest 30, May 18, 11 a.m.55 Delay in flight clearance subject of representations to Foreign Office today.
We have no means of ascertaining whether delay on May 8 flight occurred here or Budapest. The Russians will never discuss these matters frankly with us. Most of our requests have to go through two channels, military and Foreign Office. Both are secretive and evasive about who really bears responsibility, and there are strong indications that both are only fronts in this respect for the secret police, which really has the say and with which we can have no contact.
We therefore have no constructive suggestions on application procedure. To our mind, retaliation in kind would probably be the least uncertain and most expeditious measure for improving situation.56 But decisions on such action can be made only in Washington.
Sent to Budapest as 2, to Caserta as 103, rep to Dept as 1726.
- Not printed; it reported on the increasingly dilatory manner in which Soviet authorities were treating applications for flights by American planes to and from Budapest; a request by Major General Key that his own plane be authorized to fly to Caserta had been pending with Soviet authorities since May 8 (740.00119 Control (Hungary)/5–1845).↩
- Telegrams 1263, March 31, 11 a.m., and 1326, April 4, 7 p.m., both from Caserta, neither printed, reported that Major General Key suggested that clearance for Russian aircraft entering Italy and other Anglo-American controlled areas be suspended until favorable Soviet action was given for American flight clearances for Hungary (740.00119 Control (Hungary)/3–3145 and 4–445).↩