Evening star., 1946-02-26
State Department
Clarifies Policy on
Soviet Repatriafes

otdteS MILITARY zone In GERMANY
to Soviet territory was made avail
able by the State Department today
as result of widespread contro-
versy over whether these people are
being sent to Russia against their
will.
Based on the Yalta agreement
among the late President Roosevelt,
Premier Stain and Prime Minister
Churchills the formula provides for
the repatriation of persons who were
citizens Of the Soviet Union and also
lived there before September /, 1889.
provided they come within one of
the three following categories:
!. Were captured in German uni
forms.
2. Were members Of the Soviet
armed forces on or after June %,
1941 (the date of the outbreak of war
between Russia and Germany and
were not subsequently discharged
therefrom.
8. On the basis Of reasonable eN-
dence have been found to be COL
laborators with the enemy, having
voluntarily rendered aid and comfort
to the enemy.
Criticism Of Exodus.
In recent days there has been
considerable criticism of the alleged
American Army policy of forcibly
repatriating to new territory now
governed by the U. s. S. r. persons
who came from those areas when
they were under the rule of another
government. This would include,
for example, Ruthenians formerly
under Czechoslovak rule), Ukrain-
ians (from the formerly Polish
section) and Balts (Esthonians,
Latvians and Lithuanians).
Many Of these nationalities who
are not pro-Soviet in sympathy re-
portedly fear the vengeance of the
Russian secret police should they
be sent into Soviet territory.
For example, published reports
from Rome have said that the Pope,
in an allocution to newly created
group of cardinals last week, ex-
pressed unhappiness over British
and American repatriation policies.
He was reported to have been par
ticularly concerned over the forced
exodus to their original homelands
of Ruthenians, Ukrainians and Hun
garians.
Yalta Formula Policy.
The actual repatriation Of dis
placed persons from the American
zone in Germany is Under the direc-
ton of the Army, although high
policy is determined by the State
Department. A source there said
that while the Yalta formula men
toned above was the guiding policy,
it was possible that in the handling
of thousands of people there might
have been some occasional misap-
plications of it by American troops.
However, the policy was inter-
preted to mean that no one would
be forced to return to Russian ter
ritory unless he was Soviet citizen
before the outbreak of the European
war and then only if he came within
one of the three categories set out.
For example, negative answer
was given to the question of whether
a Russian civilian, captured by Ger
man troops and forced to labor in
a Reich factory against his will,
would be forced to return to the
Soviet Union if he did not desire to
do so. ..-
McNarney Denies Reports.
Following reports that Balts were
being forcibly evacuated to their
former homes, now under Soviet
rule, the War Deparement queried
Gen. Joseph T. McNarney, supreme
commander in the American zone,
and received from his headquarters
a reply which was issued as public
statement in Frankfurt and saying
in part:
Gen. McNarney today denied un-
equivocally reports published in the
United States that Baltic nationals
who are unable to pass rigid loyalty
investigation will be returned to
their homeland by force If neces-
sary."
The War Department declined to
comment on statement of Gen.
McNarney's that Balts will be re-
patriated forcibly when, while un-
der our care" they have been CON
victed of criminal acts for which
punishment of one year or more is
the penalty"
A State Department spokesman
said, however, that such a procedure
would be "out of line with official
United States policy" The only
Balts who could be repatriated for
chilly, he said, were those wanted
on bona flde war criminal charges.
These, he said, should be sent home,
just as they would be sent to any
country wanting them for war
crimes prosecution.