811.91261/3–646: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:10 p.m.]
684. I am worried about situation of American correspondents here described in my 641, March 4, which has assumed genuinely unpleasant aspects.
A check now made by AP correspondent with his central office indicates that on March 5 out of 24 telegrams delivered to Soviet Post Office for submission to Censorship Bureau, only 10 reached their destination. He has no way of ascertaining in what shape these were finally despatched. …
In general, however, it is clear to me that it is highly unsatisfactory and risky, if not quite unacceptable, that American correspondents should be filing copy in these precarious circumstances, particularly at a moment when so much harm could be done by distorted or mutilated texts. I wish therefore to recommend that Department consult at once with editors and principals of correspondents now functioning in Moscow, particularly AP, UP, New York Times, Time-Life, CBS, NBC, and MBS with a view to ascertaining whether they wish to continue to have their correspondents file copy in these circumstances. I must reiterate that present system, if not modified, gives Soviet censors possibility of completely distorting sense of any story filed by an American correspondent in this city without knowledge of either correspondent himself or of his home office.