740.00118 European War 1939/417: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:06 p.m.]
1374. In the course of a conversation with Lozovski this afternoon:
1. He frankly admitted that the delay in granting exit visas to Mrs. Habicht and Mrs. Magidoff was due to the fact that he was “awaiting action in the Ovakimian and Bookkniga cases.” I told him that these cases are receiving the attention of the Department and probably will be disposed of in the near future and invited his attention to the fact that Gorin had been released and allowed to depart from the United States before Roszkowski and Pyk had been freed from imprisonment. I also pointed out that the time element was of greater importance in Moscow than in Washington at present. After further discussion he agreed to authorize issuance of exit visas for Mrs. Habicht and Mrs. Magidoff tomorrow saying that he would assume that Ovakimian and Bookkniga cases would be favorably acted upon without too great delay.
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