Moscow Embassy Files: 310 Conf-Peace/560.1 US: Telegram
1The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
701. Dept has given careful consideration urtel 2435 Sept 26 re visas for Solovev Parfenova and Smirnov2 and discussed question with reps CIO and AFL who both indicated desire visas not be authorized. Former stressed significance timing of Chicago meeting on eve of [Page 839] national conventions US labor unions where important decisions re commie dominated member unions would be taken and expressed opinion that real purpose Solovev visit to organize commie elements for convention fight as well as assist in establishment new nation-wide left trade wing organization in event commie unions expelled from CIO convention.
In view foregoing and other considerations such as impropriety this govt facilitating intervention in internal American trade union developments by officials of Sov Govt operated trade unions still endeavoring maintain pretense of representing free labor movement and fact that other commie labor officials such as Toledano3 and Quatrepoint4 who do not posses official govt status in countries of origin will not be permitted entry into US for this meeting, as well as effrontery well known Sov gambit trying to railroad visas at last moment, Dept has decided not to authorize visas in this instance.
Dept does not intend make any press statement unless developments should eventually make one desirable and will answer queries to effect that applications received too late for appropriate consideration.
When returning passports to MFA, you may wish similarly to inform them that applications received too late for appropriate consideration.
- This message is missing from its prescribed location in the files of the Department of State at 811.111 Dipl. 61/9–2749.↩
- The telegram under reference here reported that the Soviet Foreign Ministry had requested from the Embassy diplomatic visas for Leonid Nikolayevich Solovev, Secretary of the AU-Union Central Council of Trade Unions; Nadezha Parefenova, Deputy Representative of the Anti-Fascist Committee of Soviet Union; and Andrey Smirnov, a translator, to enter the United States in order to attend the so-called “National Trade Union Conference for the Defense of Peace” in Chicago. The Embassy was inclined to feel that on balance the best interests of the United States would be served by granting such visas, particularly in view of the considerations set forth in telegram 162, March 16, to Moscow, p. 809 (Moscow Embassy Files, S10 Conf-Peace/560.1 US).↩
- Vicente Lombardo Toledano, President of the Confederation of Latin American Workers and Vice President of the World Federation of Trade Unions.↩
- An official of the French Confédération Générale du Travail.↩