811.3361/1–2045
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs ( Durbrow ) to the Director of Naval Intelligence of the Navy Department ( Thebaud )
Subject: Telegram 132, January 15, from Moscow and telegram 194, January 20, from Moscow to Secretary of State10 (paraphrases of which have been handed to Major Wylie).
It will be noted that the Embassy in Moscow regards the backlog of visas requested for United States naval and military personnel as having been cleared up and asks authority to issue visas in all outstanding cases of Soviet naval personnel. This authorization was given and there is now only one case outstanding, that of Lieutenant Captain Lulakov whose case was referred to the Navy January 26 (memorandum 3811).
The Embassy feels that the action which has been taken to date has had considerable effect and has resulted in the Soviets bringing up to date their consideration of requests for visas for United States naval personnel. The Embassy recommends, consequently, that no further action be taken on the proposed visa agreement, stating that the British agreement along similar lines has not proved in practice to be of any real value.
The Department is inclined to agree with the Embassy’s recommendation and suggests that no further action be taken in this connection unless new delays occur in Soviet consideration of applications for naval personnel visas.12
- Telegram 194 not printed.↩
- Memorandum 38, January 22, 1945, not printed.↩
- In a letter of March 19, 1945, the Acting Secretary of the Navy, H. Struve Hensel, replied that the Navy Department concurred in this recommendation but requested the Department of State to continue to refer to the Navy Department individual applications for visas for Soviet naval personnel in order that comment might be made on each case on the basis of its merits. At the same time, the Navy Department withdrew its objections to issuing a visa to Lieutenant Captain Lulakov. (811.3361/3–1945)↩