No. 526
Editorial Note
In a note handed to Chargé John M. McSweeney on October 3 by Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky, the Soviet Government declared Ambassador George F. Kennanpersona non grata and insisted upon his immediate recall. For text of the Soviet note of October 3 as translated into English, see Department of State Bulletin, October 13, 1952, page 557. The Soviet Government took the position that the action was necessary because of the statement to the press made by Ambassador Kennan on September 19 at Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin in which the Ambassador allegedly made “slanderous attacks hostile to the Soviet Union in a rude violation of generally recognized norms of international law”. Regarding the Ambassador’s interview at Tempelhof Airport, see Document 524. For an account of Chargé McSweeney’s receipt of the note of October 3, see telegram 612, supra.
In a statement issued to the press on October 3, Secretary Acheson rejected the allegations made in the Soviet note of October 3 and added the following:
“Ambassador Kennan is recognized not only in this country but throughout the world as a man deeply versed in knowledge of the Soviet Union and sympathetic to the legitimate aspirations of the Russian peoples. There is no doubt that the request of the Soviet Government reflects their knowledge that the factual statement Ambassador Kennan made in Berlin on September 19 will be recognized in most parts of the world as a truthful one.
“The reasons given by the Soviet Government for requesting the recall of Ambassador Kennan are that he had violated ‘generally recognized norms of international law’. This comes from a Government which has itself, over a period of years, created practices in international intercourse which violate the traditions and customs of civilized peoples developed over generations, and which adversely affect efforts to maintain good relations with the Soviet Government. The Russian peoples themselves must be shamefully aware the foreigners within the Soviet Union are customarily treated by the Soviet Government in ways which are the exact contrary of civilized international usage. The violator of accepted usage is the Soviet Government, which has created the situation accurately described in Ambassador Kennan’s Berlin statement.
[Page 1054]“The Soviet Government will be informed of this conclusion. Ambassador Kennan is now in Geneva. He will remain in Western Europe temporarily and will later return to Washington for consultation.”
For text of the Secretary’s statement (issued to the press as Department of State press release 777, October 3), see Department of State Bulletin, October 13, 1952, page 557. The text of this press release was sent to Ambassador Kennan in telegram 269 to Geneva, October 3, repeated to Moscow, London, Rome, and Bonn. In telegram 231 from Geneva, October 5, addressed personally to Secretary Acheson, Kennan replied:
“Deeply appreciate your magnificent support, which is more than I personally deserved. Naturally regret that things took this turn, but feel issues at stake are ones that wld sooner or later have required facing, and that ultimate effect this incident may be healthful.” (123 Kennan, George F.)
Copies of press release 777 were also sent to Senator Alexander Wiley of Wisconsin and Representative Robert B. Chiperfield of Illinois under cover of brief letters from Secretary Acheson of October 3 which included the following invitation:
“This obviously raises certain problems in our relations with the Soviet Union which I am most anxious to discuss with you. Will you please let me know when you will be in Washington next.” (123 Kennan, George F.)
The text of the press release and the same general message from Secretary Acheson were also sent via the Embassy in Rome to Representative James P. Richards of South Carolina who was traveling in Italy. (Telegram 1471 to Rome, October 3; 123 Kennan, George F.)
Secretary Acheson’s statement to the press on the Soviet action against Ambassador Kennan was made at a special press conference on October 3. In the course of that conference, the Secretary denied that Ambassador Kennan was being recalled, indicated that he had no intention of asking for the recall of Soviet Ambassador Zarubin, and stated that no consideration had been given to severing relations with the Soviet Union over the matter or to sending another Ambassador to the Soviet Union. The record of the Secretary’s Press and Radio Conference No. 28, October 3, is in Secretary of State—1952, Press Conferences. A paraphrase of the Secretary’s remarks was transmitted to Geneva in telegram 268, October 3, for Kennan and repeated to Moscow, Paris, London, Rome, and Bonn. (123 Kennan, George F.)