121.5561/52: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 28—2:23 p.m.]
1413. Lozovski asked me to call at the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs this afternoon and stated that the appointment of Lt. Commander R. H. Allen as Assistant Naval Attaché to the Embassy in Moscow was agreeable to the Soviet Government. He added that the Soviet authorities could not consent to the appointment of one or more American naval observers to reside in Vladivostok at the present time as the Soviet Government could not refuse the same privilege to Japan which it did not desire to extend.
I do not consider that the Soviet Government has given its “unqualified approval” to the appointment of four Naval Attachés to be sent to Moscow in as much as the name of only one has thus far been transmitted by the Department to the Embassy and submitted to the Soviet authorities. However, as stated in my 1227 [1277], July 3, it seems unlikely Lozovski at that time “could see no objection to four in number being sent to Moscow”.
Unfortunately the Departments’ 928 of July 26, 3 p.m., was not received until I had returned to the Embassy from the interview with Lozovski reported above. I am of the opinion that pointing out that our Government would make no announcement of the presence of American naval observers in Vladivostok, that they work informally and so conduct themselves as not to attract undue attention to their presence, would carry no weight with the Soviet authorities who would immediately point out to me that the presence and [Page 905] identity in Vladivostok of a newcomer among the 20 or 25 foreigners who reside in that city and who constitute the American, Japanese and Chinese Consulates and of whom approximately one-third are Japanese could not be concealed.
In requesting agreement to the appointment of a shipping advisor to the American Consulate General at Vladivostok I deem it advisable to disclose that he will be an American naval officer, as the record of the individual to be appointed would of course be ascertained by the Soviet authorities.