811.22761/46: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt)
668. The War Department has ruled that American plants engaged in the manufacturing of supplies for that Department are not to permit foreigners to enter them in pursuance of provisions of technical assistance contracts. In the future, foreign technicians are to be permitted to go into these plants only for the purpose of inspecting equipment being manufactured for the foreign firms which they represent.
In view of this ruling, the Department feels that it would be inadvisable to grant any further visas to Soviet engineers who desire to come to the United States in pursuance of technical assistance contracts existing between Soviet agencies and American firms manufacturing equipment for the War Department. So far as the Department is aware, the only two companies manufacturing equipment for the War Department which have technical assistance contracts with the Soviet Government are the Radio Corporation of America and the Wright Aeronautical Corporation. It is possible that visas may be granted to Soviet engineers desiring to proceed to these plants provided [Page 745] their visits are exclusively for the purpose of inspecting equipment being manufactured in those plants for Soviet agencies.
The Department has been informed that a special agreement has recently been entered into which will terminate the technical assistance contract existing at present between the Radio Corporation of America and the Soviet agencies as of May 31, 1941.