Evening star., 1955-01-03
U. 5. Tighfens
Travel Curbs
On Russians
New Order Closes
Parts Of 80 States
In Reprisol to Reds
By jones E. Roper

The State Department today
barred Soviet citizens holding
Russian passports from travel in
vast areas Of the United States,
including large sections Of
Maryland and Virginia.
Effective Immediately, sections
Of 80 States are closed to the
Soviet-sponsored citizens. In
addition. is cities in otherwise
open areas were marked of
limits
The new restrictions were dis
cloed in a note which the State
Department delivered to the
Russian Embassy today.
The note said the new restric-
tions were comparable to the
Soviet's restrictions on travel
OF American citizens in Russia.
The State Department said ap-
proximately 80 per cent Of the
Soviet Union is closed to Ameri-
can citizens. Today,s order
closes ~ per cent of conti-
mental United States to Russians.
widening Of Restrictions.
Since 1852 the United States
has prohibited certain Russian
personnel from travelling more
than 25 miles from the centers
Of the District Of Columbia or
New York City without giving
48 hours notice to the United
States Government. Today's
action brings a few more Soviet
citizens under the travel restric-
tions and bars them outright
from specified areas.
The only bearers Of Soviet
passports who win be exempt
from these regulations are Rus
sian citizens employed by the
United Nations secretariat. They
are the responsibility of the
United Nations and already are
under separate travel restric-
tions.
Areas closed to Soviet citizens
include a 15-mile belt along the
United States-Mexican border
except for q portion in Webb
County, Tex, near Laredo, and
a similar belt along the Great
Lakes area Of the United States
Canadian border.
Also barred to Soviet travel
were 46 counties in Virginia and
10 in Maryland. Both Baltimore
and District Of Columbia, how
ever, were declared "open" areas.
Travel Routes Listed.
The United States also speci-
fed travel routes which must be
taken by Soviet citizens on cer-
tain trips such as between
Washington, Baltimore and New
York; and between New York
and Oyster Bay. New York, where
some Soviet U. N. delegates re-
side.
After listing the new regula-
tons. the United States note told
Russia:
THE foregoing regulations are
comparable to those which the
Soviet Union has imposed, pre-
sumably for reasons of security.
on the movement OF United
States citizens in the Soviet
Union.
IF the Soviet Union should
hereafter conclude that the in
ternational situation were such
that security requirements en-
abled 1t to liberalize its regula-
tions restricting travel of United
States citizens in the Soviet
Union, this Government would
in turn be disposed to reconsider
in the same spirit its own Sc
curity requirements.
N0tes Russian Action.
In a press release accompany
ing publication Of the American
note. the State Department
noted that on June %. 1858, the |
Soviet Union opened certain pre-
viously banned areas Of the So
Wet Union TO American travellers.
The State Department said it |
welcomed this action ..as pos |
sible indication that additional |
and more substantial steps In |
this direction might be forth |
coming.
Unfortunately, this expecta- |
ton has not been fulfilled and |
today approximately 80 per cent |
Of the land area Of the U. s. 8. r.
remains closed to travel by !
American citizens or other for |