Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

811.22/6–1647

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kohler) to the Secretary of State

No. 1394

Moscow, June 16, 1947.

Sir: I have the honor to report that the Embassy has received a categoric refusal from the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider the question of the issuance of Soviet exit visas to the wives and children of fifteen American citizens, veterans of World War II, for whom a special plea was made in the Ambassador’s letter of April 30, 1947, to Mr. Molotov. Embassy’s Despatch No. 1226 of May 3, 1947.¹

There are transmitted herewith, to complete the Department’s records in this connection: 1. Copy of a follow-up letter addressed to Mr. Molotov by the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim on June 2, 1947; and 2. Copy and translation of the Ministry’s reply, dated June 11, 1947, and signed by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Malik, stating that “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR cannot render any assistance to the Embassy in this matter”.²

As the Department doubtless appreciated from the tenor of the Ambassador’s note, the cases of these fifteen wives were carefully selected as being especially deserving of consideration for humanitarian, psychological and propaganda reasons and thus presenting the maximum possibilities for a successful approach to the Soviet authorities.

Almost all of them were married before World War II in territories which were not then incorporated in the Soviet Union. Their Soviet citizenship was conferred on them without their specific application by blanket decrees which gave Soviet citizenship to persons residing in those territories taken over by the Soviet Union. All of these women had made their applications for exit visas sometime during the year 1946 but without success.

In view of the categoric refusal of the Soviet authorities to consider these cases, which underscores their previous negative responses in cases which they might well have been expected to find even less “deserving”, the Embassy sees no hope of favorable action on the many pending applications for exit visas submitted by Soviet wives of American citizens. It is accordingly suggested that the Department consider issuing a statement and releasing to the press pertinent portions of the correspondence on this subject.³

Respectfully yours,

Foy D. Kohler

1. Not printed.
2. Neither enclosure printed. Elbridge Durbrow signed the letter of June 2 as Chargé.
3. The Department told the Embassy in telegram 1502 to Moscow on July 22, 4 p. m., not printed, that it was contemplating the issuance of a press release as here recommended. In order to complete its records, it asked to receive the names of all the Soviet wives of American citizens who were applying for exit visas to leave the Soviet Union. (811.22/6–1647)