Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume V

361.1115/2–1849: Airgram

The United States Political Adviser for Germany ( Murphy ) to the Secretary of State

secret

Berlin , February 18, 1949.

A–126. Reference is made to my telegram No. 52¹ (sent to Moscow as No. 11) of January 10 reporting that a letter has been sent by General Hays² to General Yurkin³ on January 7 in which it was suggested that no further action could be taken with regard to the repatriation of Soviet nationals imprisoned in the U.S. Zone until the Soviet Foreign Office would resume discussions with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow concerning the repatriation of certain U.S. citizens detained under conditions of forced labor in the Soviet Union. The following reply has now been received from General Dratvin⁴ of the SMA:

“I noted the content of your reply to the letter of General Yurkin, Chief of the Expatriation Division of SMAG, dated 17 Nov 48, concerning the release and repatriation to the Soviet Union of Soviet citizens held in prisons in the U.S. Zone. In your reply, you make the repatriation of Soviet nation[al]s from the U.S. Zone in Germany contingent upon negotiations with respect to the repatriation of U.S. citizens who allegedly are in the U.S.S.R. I cannot agree that such presentation of the question is correct inasmuch as the repatriation of Soviet and U.S. citizens is regulated in accordance with special agreements⁵ concluded by both countries concerned. As is known, the Soviet government has, in compliance with those agreements, repatriated all U.S. citizens within a very short period of time, and Soviet authorities in implementing the agreements on repatriation had not stipulated any preliminary conditions with a view to securing reciprocal actions on the part of the U.S. authorities.

As to those U.S. citizens, mentioned by you, who are alleged to be in the Soviet Union, I know that this question had been the subject of special correspondence between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. Embassy and that, as a result thereof, it was established that the citizens claimed by the Embassy were either not citizens of the U.S.A. or had left the Soviet Union long ago.

Hence, the question concerning the repatriation of Soviet citizens has nothing whatever to do with the requests submitted by the U.S. Embassy.

All of the aforesaid gives me the right to expect that the U.S. military authorities in Germany will take the necessary steps toward the release and the repatriation of Soviet citizens held in prisons within the U.S. Zone of occupation.”

OMGUS is filing General Dratvin’s reply without acknowledgment.

Murphy

1. Not printed, but see telegram 1411 to Moscow on December 21, 1948, and footnote 1, Foreign Relations, 1948, vol. iv, p. 942.
2. Maj. Gen. George P. Hays was Deputy United States Military Governor for Germany.
3. Maj. Gen. M. G. Yurkin was Chief of the United Nations Nationals Repatriation and Tracing Division of the Soviet Military Administration (Germany).
4. Lt. Gen. Mikhail Ivanovich Dratvin was Deputy Chief of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany.
5. Agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union concerning Liberated Prisoners of War and Civilians, signed on February 11, 1945, at Yalta; for text, see Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945, p. 985.