307. Memorandum From the Administrator of the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs (Schwartz) to the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Cleveland)1

SUBJECT

  • Comments on “Resolution on Freedom to Travel”

Reference is made to a request from your office for brief comments on the Resolution on Freedom to Travel adopted and submitted by the United States Section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.2

There is attached a statement which sets forth our comments and views on this Resolution. It has been cleared with the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs and the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs.

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Attachment

FREEDOM TO TRAVEL

The Department is in complete agreement with and follows the guarantee contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.” It is also our view that restriction on travel is an inroad and a hindrance to the free exchange of information upon which our domestic society depends. It follows, therefore, that restrictions on the travel of our citizens to certain countries or areas abroad should be and are imposed only when such travel constitutes a serious threat to our foreign policy or other national interest.

The designation from time to time of certain countries or areas of the world as forbidden to United States citizens who desire to travel there falls within the power to conduct foreign affairs. The decision to restrict is in and of itself a foreign policy determination and every citizen should do his part to aid in the implementation of this policy.

It is axiomatic that the conduct of foreign affairs necessarily involves flexible measures and policies which must be reviewed and adjusted to meet changing conditions. The Department has under constant review the countries or areas which are restricted to U.S. travellers and makes changes in the designations when warranted.

The policy of restricting travel of U.S. citizens to certain designated countries or areas does not mean that no U.S. citizens can travel to those areas. Specially validated passports have been and are being issued to travellers when the travel is regarded as being in the best interests of the United States. In the implementation of our foreign policy and especially in relation to Communist China, an arrangement exists whereby news-gathering agencies with a demonstrated interest in reporting foreign news have designated news representatives who are authorized to travel to Communist China. With the exception of two rather atypical cases, the Peiping regime has refused visas to all American correspondents to enter that area. Family members of United States citizens imprisoned in Communist China have also been issued passports valid for travel to Communist China, and usually are permitted to enter.

In the case of Cuba, the important current reason for closely controlling travel to Cuba is that the United States and other governments of this Hemisphere are engaged in a cooperative effort to isolate Cuba in order to limit the Castro regime’s ability to promote subversion in other countries and to prevent the consolidation of communism in Cuba. The Castro regime is bringing Latin American trainees to Cuba, instructing them in subversive techniques, including guerrilla warfare, [Page 671] and returning them to their countries to initiate or support subversive movements.

Legitimate newsmen and other news media personnel have been issued specially validated passports to enable them to observe the Cuban scene and keep the American public informed on the true situation there. Also, American Red Cross personnel and others travelling for humanitarian reasons have been granted passports validated for travel to Cuba. It should be noted, however, that the Castro regime, through its control of visas, determines which persons may enter Cuba. In many instances persons who have passports validated for travel to Cuba have had their visas refused or long delayed because the Castro regime did not want them to enter Cuba,

The Department desires to emphasize to the National Board of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom that the decision to place such restrictions on travel is a supplementary phase in the conduct of foreign affairs and that it will contribute to our ultimate objectives of world peace and stability, reduction of tensions, and resistance to Communism.

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1960–63, SOC 14. No classification marking.
  2. When the National Board of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom met in Philadelphia on October 25–27, it called for an “immediate end to the arbitrary withholding of passports by the Passport Office of the State Department and to the practice of withdrawing passports as a penalty for travel to certain countries.” Copies of the resolution were sent under cover of letters from the National Board to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Director of the Passport Office on November 1. (Ibid.)