361.1121/6–347: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Durbrow) to the Secretary of State
1988. Embassy despatches 1173, April 23 and 1329, May 28.1 Vyshinski has replied to Ambassador Smith’s letter April 182 to Molotov regarding claimants to American citizenship deported to Soviet Union. He sidestepped point that Soviet officials were granted free contact with alleged Soviet citizens and refused Ambassador’s request that an American consular officer have reciprocal rights to visit claimants [Page 730] to American citizenship by stating “those persons whose presence on Soviet territory has been established are either citizens of the USSR or citizens of a third state” and, therefore, the procedure for protecting American citizens provided in exchange of letters between USSR and USA of November 16, 1933 “is not applicable”.
With reference to Ambassador’s request that American citizens living in Baltic countries be allowed to return to the US Vyshinski replied that they “cannot be divested of Soviet citizenship merely by force of the fact of their birth on American territory. Therefore, the request expressed in Ambassador’s letter concerning departure of these persons from Soviet Union to USA likewise cannot be considered well founded.”
A reply to Vyshinski is being prepared for Ambassador’s approval upon his return. Fact that no obstacles will be placed in way of Armenians (Deptel 1237, May 283) wishing to depart from US to come to Soviet Union will be noted in reply.