Evening star., 1948-08-20

the protests OF the Soviet pop-
ernment in the case OF the Rus
sian school teachers and demand
ing the recall of Russia's consul
general in Ne1u York:
The Department of State refers to
the notes No. 143 of August 8, 1948;
and No. l48 of August IA, 1S48, of
the Embassy of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics and to the note
which Mr.. Molotov handed to Am
bassador Smith in Moscow on the
night of August II, 1948, with ref
erence to Mrs. Oksana 8. Kasen-
kina and to Mikhail L. Samarin,
his wife and three children.
| In these communications and in
the representations which the Am
bassador has made to the Under
secretary of State, as well as in
statements which have been made
to the press by the Ambassador and
Mr.. Jacob Lomakin. the Soviet Con-
sui General in New York City,
! charges of the most serious nature
are made not only against individ-
uals in this country, but also against
! the Government of the United
States and State and Federal OFF,
cials. The reports of the investiga-
ting being made by the competent
United States authorities which
have been received by the Depart
ment iof State are unsubstantiated.
but also indicate that officials OF
the Soviet government have been
engaged in conduct which is highly
improper The United States Gov
ernment must categorically reject
the charges and inSinuationS con-
tained in these notes, which have
been found to be at complete vari-
ance with the facts In this con-
nection the Department of State
desires to inform the Embassy of
the Union of Soviet Socialist Re-
publics as follows:
Michael /. Samarine.
According to reports of the inveS-
tigation made by the competent au-
thorities, Mikhail Samarine volun-
tarily appeared at the Office of the
New York and stated he did not
wis hto return to the Soviet Union,
but desired to remain in the United
States. After making this statement
he left the office of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation without
leaving an address. He then made
statement~to the New York Times,
which was published in that news
paper on August 10, 1948, corrobo-
rating his statement to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation. 1t is clear
that Mr.. Samarine is acting ON his
own volition, and that he is free to
get in touch with the Soviet con-
sulate general or the Soviet En-
bassy at any time he wishes. No
information has been produced to
substantiate the allegation con-
tanned in the Embassy's note of
August 8 that Mr. Samarine and
his family were forcibly removed
from their apartment.
In the note which Mr.. Molotov
handed to Ambassador Smith on
August H. 1t was stated:
"On the tenth of August Under
secretary of State Lovett cOrrobo-
rated to the Soviet Ambassador in
Washington that Samarine had
been made subject to examination
by the Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation which thus is found to be
connected with the organization
which kidnapped Samarine, his wife
and three children"
| The Ambassador will recall that
on the occasion referred to the
Under Secretary merely read press
clipping to the effect that Mr..
Samarine had voluntarily visited
the New York office of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation This in
formation does not in any way sup
port the allegation that there is any
connection between the organization
referred to in the Soviet govern
ment's note as the Tolstoy Fund
presumably Tolstoy Foundation
and the Federal Bureau Ct Investi-
CATION, and this Government must
categorically deny that any such
connection exists. Moreover, this
Government has no information
which would justify the statement
that the Tolstoy Foundation is en-
gagged in criminal activities as al
legged in the Embassys note.
Oksana S. Kasenkina.
The reports of the competent
United States authorities show that
Oksana Kasenkina on July 20, l948,
informed the editor of a Russian
language newspaper in New York
City that she did not wish to return
to the Soviet Union. Through him
arrangements were made for her to
go to Reed Farm, Valley Cottage,
New York. which she did in a public
autobus on July 81. According to
her own statements, which are cor
roborated by the testimony of a
number of persons, she went to the
farm voluntarily and stayed there
of her own free will. She has stated
that she wrote to the Soviet Consul
General in New York informing
him where she was but she denies
stating that she was Kidnapped. The
full text of her letter has never
been made available to the compe-
tent United States authorities al
though its production would have
facilitated investigation of the
charges made in the Embassy's note
and it would be appreciated if a
photostatic copy were furnished to
this department. This department
would also like to receive a photo
static copy of the letter which the
New York police authorities found
in Mrs. Kasenkina's room at the
Consulate General and which was
returned to the Consulate General
unopened after it was ascertained
that she had jumped from a win
dow of the Consulate.
Mrs Kasenkina has further stated
that the interview which she gave
to the press on August I was ar
ranged by the Consulate General
and that she was instructed to
make false statements to the effect
that she had been kidnapped
Mrs. Kasenkina was interviewed
at the hospital by Vice Consul
Chepurnykh. AS the Ambassador