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

800.01B11 Registration/11–2349

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs (Reinhardt)

[Washington,] November 23, 1949.

Mr. Lenvin¹ telephoned to state that the case against the Amtorg Trading Corporation for failure to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 is now closed.

At the hearing this afternoon the indictment against the six individual officers of the corporation was dismissed. The corporation then pleaded nolo contendere to the charges against it. The Court, in rendering judgment against the corporation, set a fine of $10, 000, the execution of which, however, was suspended.

I thanked Mr. Lenvin for his courtesy in informing the Department so promptly and expressed the view that the foregoing represented an ideal solution of the problem presented by Amtorg’s reluctance to comply with the registration law.²

Reinhardt

1. Nathan B. Lenvin of the Criminal Division in the Department of Justice.
2. The information on the closure of the case against the Amtorg Trading Corporation was relayed to the Embassy in the Soviet Union in telegram 864 on November 23, 7 p. m.; not printed. (800.01B11 Registration/11–2349)