Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Central and Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

511.6121/1–550: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

restricted

Moscow, January 5, 1950—3 p. m.

33. INP Sanders.¹ USIE received today following letter dated December 31 from “Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga”, (Soviet International Book Agency).

“In accordance with instructions received from Soyuzpechat, the central administration for circulating and mailing press matter, we have the honor to inform that beginning January 1 Soyuzpechat shall accept magazines from and settle accounts directly with the publishing section circulating the Amerika magazine. At the same time in accordance with the request of Soyuzpechat we inform you that henceforth, beginning January 1, 1950, the unsold copies of Amerika magazine, shall not be paid for and will be returned to the publishing section”.

Embassy comments follow shortly.²

Kirk

1. Mrs. Marion K. Sanders was Chief of the Magazine Branch of the Division of International Press and Publications and editor of Amerika.
2. The Embassy sent its comments on this state of affairs and its suggestions, particularly in telegrams 157 and 158 from Moscow on January 18; neither printed.