87. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State1
634. Davis was summoned to see Fedorenko, Deputy Foreign Minister, an hour before my arrival today and given oral statement along following lines:
“Embassy’s attention has already been drawn in past to anti-Soviet demonstrations hampering the work of Soviet UN Mission in New York. Of late these demonstrations consisting of crowds of people carrying on anti-Soviet slander and committing hooligan acts have assumed a systematic organized character.
“The U.S. authorities have not taken measures to prevent these anti-Soviet demonstrations and the Soviet UN Mission is unable to carry out its functions in normal conditions. This is an intolerable situation and the Ministry expects that appropriate steps will be taken by the American authorities to insure conditions guaranteeing normal functioning of Soviet UN Mission.”
Davis responded by promising to communicate this statement immediately to Washington but pointed out Embassy was uninformed of conditions against which Soviet protest directed and inquired whether Fedorenko could cite any specific instances of demonstrations or hooligan acts to which Soviet statement referred. Fedorenko replied statement spoke for itself and that he would only emphasize that anti-Soviet campaign had assumed “systematic organized” character. Davis pointed out that so far as Embassy was informed appropriate U.S. authorities had in past afforded protection to Soviet UN Mission. In reply to question whether Fedorenko wished to convey aide-mémoire on this subject, he stated protest was confined to oral statement.
[Page 241]Department will recall that within past year Soviets protested (Embtel
1477, Dec. 17, 1956) once orally in similar fashion to Ambassador Bohlen by Gromyko and again in spring this year by aide-mémoire2 handed to Davis by Soldatov, chief American section. Although Davis did not ask Fedorenko whether Soviets intended publish protest fact that he refused give Davis copy of statement from which he read indicates Soviets may handle as in first instance. However we should be prepared for Soviet publication and appropriate press statement in Washington.
Recommend that an investigation be made and appropriate action be taken in order to avoid possibility that Soviets may wish to retaliate in some form or other.