800.01B11 Registration/10–2349
The Ambassador of the Soviet Union (Panyushkin) to the Secretary of State 1
Sir: Under instructions of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics I have the honor to communicate the following.
[Page 767]The Soviet Government has learned that on October 21 of this year the following Soviet citizens were arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation: the Chairman of the Government Purchasing Commission of the USSR in the USA and Chairman of Amtorg A. V. Zakharov, the Deputy Chairman of Amtorg V. P. Eebrov, the bookkeeper of Amtorg S. A. Shevchenko, the bookkeeper of the Purchasing Commission and deputy bookkeeper of Amtorg G. N. Ogloblin and the legal counsel of Amtorg A. A. Ishchenko.
The Soviet Government would like to receive from the Government of the USA an explanation of the motivation for these repressive measures on the part of American authorities in regard to the above mentioned persons who have been fulfilling responsible functions in the affairs of the Government Purchasing Commission of the USSR in the USA and with respect to trade between the USSR and the USA.
Accept [etc.]
- An annotation on the Russian original of this note by G. Frederick Bernhardt states that it was “Handed to Mr. McGhee by Sov. Chargé Bazykin at 6:30 p m, October 23, 1949.” George C. McGhee was Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs.↩