861.181/2–850
Memorandum for the President by the Secretary of State
With reference to the Department’s memorandum of February 21 and our conversation concerning Mrs. Robert Tucker’s inability to obtain a Soviet exit visa,2 the Department sent a telegram to Ambassador Kirk at Moscow3 requesting his suggestions for helping Mrs. Tucker. His reply has now been received.4
The Ambassador agrees that there is little chance direct representations will produce results in the foreseeable future. However, he thinks it conceivable that Stalin or some other top Soviet official, when in a relatively expansive mood, might be persuaded to make the gesture of granting exit visas in all six cases of this type. He feels that a collective approach would minimize the risk to Mrs. Tucker.
In the event you wish to pass this information on to Mr. Charles Tucker,5 you may wish to warn him, in order to avoid raising his hopes [Page 1103] unduly, that the Department does not share Ambassador Kirk’s optimistic view that a high Soviet official in an expansive mood might be persuaded to make the generous gesture of releasing Mrs. Robert Tucker.
Ambassador Kirk also suggests that you may wish to make a direct confidential approach to Prime Minister Stalin for all six visas on humanitarian compassionate grounds. However, I presume you would not feel the present moment to be the proper time for a direct approach to Stalin.
The Ambassador adds that he will continue to seek and exploit all possible opportunities for action on Mrs. Tucker’s behalf.
- Not printed.↩
- Robert C. Tucker had married a citizen of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1946 while he was an attaché on temporary assignment in the Embassy in the Soviet Union. She had been included in a list of Soviet wives of American citizens for whom exit visas were being sought; Foreign Relations, 1946, vol. vi, pp. 808–809. See also ibid., 1949, vol. v, footnote 7, p. 638.↩
- Telegram 104 to Moscow on February 3, 1950, not printed. President Truman had inquired whether anything further could be done to assist Mrs. Tucker. (861.181/2–350)↩
- Telegram 427 from Moscow on February 7 is not printed. Its substance is reflected in this memorandum. (861.181/2–750)↩
- Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tucker were the parents of Robert C. Tucker. They had been seeking a visa to enter the Soviet Union to visit their son but had been advised not to press the effort lest it might upset the currently peaceful existence of the Robert Tuckers in Moscow. The son agreed with this recommendation.↩