732.61/10–2647: Telegram
The Chargé in Brazil (Key) to the Secretary of State
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1473. Communicated substance of Deptel 1219, October 25,27 to Foreign Minister this evening at 11:00. Fernandes then wrote in longhand a note in French which he handed me at midnight and which in translation reads as follows:
“The Brazilian Foreign Office makes known the following:
When the news of the rupture of diplomatic relations became public the chancery of the Soviet Embassy telephoned the Foreign Office advising the latter that a hostile crowd of young people had gathered in front of the building. Immediately urgent protective measures were requested of the police and the Ministry of Interior and 15 minutes later, notwithstanding the fact that the chancery is situated in an outlying area, a contingent of police arrived and dispersed the crowd, reestablishing order. There was no throwing of stones which moreover would not have been possible since the building is situated at the back of a large garden.
The same precautions were taken in order to assure the safety of the Embassy residence located in a district far removed from the Chancery.
This afternoon, having learned of the reports published in Moscow about which there was no previous knowledge the Foreign Office sent a representative to the Embassy accompanied by the Polish Minister28 in order to ascertain from Mr. Sokolov, the Soviet Chargé, the nature of his charges against the police forces and, in the presence of the aforementioned minister, Mr. Sokolov said nothing about any attack on the chancery confining himself to a complaint that his automobile was hit by stones and eggs when, at some distance from the chancery, it was carrying himself, his young child and his secretary. The result was that the secretary’s ear was struck by an egg and the child was hit on the nose. No injuries occurred from these hits.
Mr. Sokolov added that he was astonished Brazilian Ministry should have been uninformed about these occurrences since he had sent two telegrams on the subject, one in French and the other in Spanish, to the Soviet Foreign Office. Having obtained the foregoing information [Page 403] the Foreign Minister advises me (1) that the Soviet personnel can correspond freely and without censorship which explains why the Foreign Office was uninformed about the telegrams above-mentioned (2) that according to information obtained from the police the facts reported by Mr. Sokolov as outlined above are true but that the regrettable incident occurred in the street at a spot where momentarily no police were present and at such a considerable distance from the chancery building that it was impossible for the police force which was guarding the latter to intervene (3) that freedom of movement and of communication en clair are being permitted to the Soviet Embassy personnel (4) that Mr. Sokolov and his staff are making preparations for their departure and will be free to leave for the destination of their choice (5) that the protection of the buildings has been and will continue to be rigorously maintained (6) that a similar degree of protection against undesirable acts by irresponsible persons is difficult to achieve when the Soviet personnel is moving about unless the latter are willing to be accompanied by detectives: an offer of this kind will immediately be made to Mr. Sokolov and if he accepts it such supplementary protection will be accorded to him and to his personnel.”
French text of note being forwarded airmail.
Foreign Minister orally added that Soviet Chargé has indicated his staff had nearly completed packing of their belongings and records and that all would probably be ready to depart within next three or four days. However he has no information regarding projected date of departure, means of transportation or destination of Soviet Embassy group.
- Not printed; it advised the Embassy in Brazil that the Soviet Foreign Office had not yet decided to permit the United States to represent Brazilian interests in the USSR, and that the Brazilian Ambassador in Moscow had expressed the hope that the Brazilian Government would take all necessary measures to protect the Soviet staff in Rio de Janeiro (701.3261/10–2547).↩
- Wojciech Wrzosek.↩