051.61/10–2445: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 24—2:05 p.m.]
3650. ReDepts 2102 and 2103, Oct 6 [5]. Foreign Office informed Embassy that in this instance our 47 pouches would be released by Moscow customs as exception to customs regulation to effect that diplomatic mail is subject to release only if accompanied by diplomatic courier or authorized person possessing courier-letter visaed by Soviet diplomatic agent abroad.
Accordingly Embassy has today taken custody of pouches.
Dept’s action in holding five Soviet pouches, for which Embassy is highly appreciative, proved most helpful in negotiating release of our pouches. Recommend they be immediately released.
Sent Dept 3650, repeated Stockholm 86.
[For reports on two conversations between Ambassador Harriman and Stalin on October 24 and 25, 1945, at Gagry (near Sochi), concerned with the situation in Japan, see the memoranda of conversations by Edward Page, Jr., First Secretary of Embassy at Moscow, dated October 24 and 25, volume VI, section under Japan entitled “Surrender of Japan …”, Part II. For other portions of these memoranda concerned with procedures for the preparation of the peace treaties with Italy, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary, and Finland, see volume II, pages 567 and 575.]