411.61231/2–2850
The Embassy of the Soviet Union to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
On January 29, 1950 at the International Airport in New York the Customs authorities carried out an inspection of the personal baggage of diplomatic couriers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, Messrs. I. G. Titov and S. F. Kopeikin. On February 9, 1950 at the same airport the Customs authorities carried out an inspection of the personal baggage of diplomatic couriers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, Messrs. Zharkov and Afanesev.
The Embassy considers that inspection of the personal baggage of Soviet diplomatic couriers by the Customs authorities of the USA contradicts the established principle of reciprocity. At the same time the Embassy directs the attention of the Department of State to the fact that the Soviet Customs authorities strictly maintain the principle of reciprocity and do not inspect the personal baggage of diplomatic couriers of the USA entering or departing from the USSR.1
- The Department of State informed the Embassy in the Soviet Union in telegram 170 on February 28, not printed, of the receipt of these complaints and requested a telegraphic report about the present practices of the customs authorities of the Soviet Union in regard to the examination of the personal baggage of United States diplomatic couriers. (601.6111/2–2850) In the reply in telegram 730 from Moscow on March 2, not printed, the Embassy stated that such personal baggage was not now inspected and strongly recommended that the Treasury Department “instruct New York Customs officers refrain pointless annoyance Soviet couriers this fashion.” (116.32/3–250)↩