124.615/6–1551: Despatch
The Minister Counselor of the Embassy in the Soviet Union ( Barbour ) to the Department of State
No. 731
Subject: Attempts of Communist states to subject US diplomatic representatives to indignities at public functions, etc.
The Embassy appreciates the consideration being given by the Department, as indicated in the airgram under reference1 to means of meeting attempts of Communist States to subject US Diplomatic Representatives to indignities at official functions, etc. The problem has been of recurring concern to the Embassy for a considerable period.
Social and ceremonial intercourse between the Embassy and the Soviet authorities is now generally limited to the following occasions:
- 1.)
- Soviet Army and Navy Day, February 23. (Reception by the Soviet Military authorities, Attachés invited.)
- 2.)
- May Day, May 1. (Parade in Red Square, Chief of Mission, Embassy Counselors and Service Attachés invited.)
- 3.)
- U.S. Armed Forces Day, May 19. (Reception by Service Attachés for Diplomatic Corps, principal Soviet Military figures invited.)
- 4.)
- U.S. National Holiday, July 4. (Reception for Diplomatic Corps, various Soviet Foreign Office and Military Liaison Officers invited.)
- 5.)
- Soviet Air Force Day, August 18. (Fly Past, Chief of Mission, Embassy Counselors and Service Attachés invited.)
- 6.)
- Meeting of Moscow City Soviet, November 6. (Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions invited.)
- 7.)
- Soviet National Holiday, November 7. (Parade in Red Square, Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions, Embassy Counselors and Service Attachés invited—Evening Reception by Foreign Minister, Chiefs of Mission, Embassy Counselors and Service Attachés invited.)
- 8.)
- Meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, March. (Opening session attended by Chiefs of Mission.)
- 9.)
- Various receptions at diplomatic missions in commemoration of their national holidays, Soviet Foreign Office and Military Liaison Officers invited.
The attitude of the Soviets on the occasions of formal ceremonial contact has, to date, been correct although a minimum of cordiality has been evident and a measure of the state of relations existing between the Soviet and US Governments has been the low caliber of Soviet officials who have accepted US and Western invitations and the minimum length of time the few officials who have attended have remained at any Western function.
The principal source of embarrassment to US and other Western representatives, mainly Great Britain and France, has been the oratorical attacks on the United States and to some extent Great Britain and France to which the representatives have been subjected in connection with various of these public ceremonies. The most violent attacks are customarily contained in the speech delivered on November 6 at the Moscow Soviet Meeting which constitutes a principal annual political Soviet declaration. In recent years the theme of the address on these occasions has been the nefarious activities of the United States and the orator has denounced the United States thoroughly throughout his discourse. Similar attacks on the United States are customarily contained in the five-minute addresses preceding the parades on November 7 and May 1, and orders of the day released to the press on those two occasions as well as on Army and Navy Day and Air Force Day, normally violently attack the United States.
With regard to the attitude US representatives should adopt in the circumstances, it has been felt here, and the Embassy continues to consider it appropriate, that US representatives continue formal attendance at ceremonial functions to which they are invited by the Soviet authorities but limit attendance to a minimum time required by the circumstances on a reciprocal basis, dependent on the corresponding period, usually very brief, which Soviet officials remain at Embassy functions. It is also recommended that when a logical pretext therefore can be found, the Chief of Mission arrange to be absent from Moscow on a maximum number of Soviet holidays. The Embassy feels that in following the foregoing line, it maintains a maximum of dignity on its part and avoids dramatization by total absence or conspicuous withdrawal of an aspect of inconsistency in the conduct of diplomatic relations between the USSR and US under present conditions which could be exploited by the Soviets and could serve no substantive US purpose.
[Page 1597]It may be noted that, while invitations to national day receptions are extended specifically to Chiefs of Mission and Counselors by the US and Satellite Missions with whose countries the United States has relations, neither the Embassy nor the Satellite Missions any longer attend each others national day functions, or exchange other than initial calls upon arrival in Moscow.
- Document 631.↩