Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Eastern Europe; Soviet Union; Eastern Mediterranean, Volume VIII

601.6111/2–1152

No. 495
Memorandum by the Secretary of State

confidential

[Washington,] February 11, 1952.

Meeting with the President

Item 2. Travel Regulations on Soviet Personnel¹

I went over this matter with the President, explaining to him what the Government had done to foreign diplomats, the nature of our proposed regulations, the fact that they were based on reciprocity and not security, and why similar restrictions were not at this time proposed for Soviet personnel in the United States.

The President approved. He asked that I address a memorandum to him for his files, stating that pursuant to his authorization of this morning we would send the attached note regarding regulation for travel of personnel to the Soviet Ambassador. We should then attach a copy of the note. We should also in the memorandum tell him when we would send the note and release the matter to the press.²

1. For the antecedents to this issue, see Perkins’ memorandum, supra.
2. In a memorandum of Feb. 14 to the President, Acting Secretary James C. Webb explained that the Department would send the note to the Soviet Embassy on Feb. 16 and would announce the action to the press on Feb. 18. Responding to requests for delay from several NATO nations, the Department postponed delivery of the note pending further discussion of the matter at the North Atlantic Council session in Lisbon, Feb. 20–25. The note was delivered on Mar. 10.