PROPOSED CONSULAR CONVENTION WITH SOVIET UNION MORE TO ADVANTAGE OF UNITED STATES THAN TO RUSSIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000800170117-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 30, 1999
• Sequence Number: 117
• Publication Date: August 17, 1965
• Content Type: OPEN

THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
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AUGUST 17, 1965
STATINTL
PROPOSED CONSULAR CONVENTION .1 Those writers are ignorant of the fa
WITH SOVIET UNION MORE TO that hearings were held.
ADVANTAGE OR UNITED STATES The facts are that the Soviet Gover
THAN TO RUSSIA ment has the right to open consulates
Mr. YOUNG of Ohio. Mr. President, New York. San Francisco, and Los A
...._ --1 1- geles, and this Nation has the right
en consul tes in cities ithin t
o
he
p
e
of pressure mail I have been receiving
co
ne
from Ohio citizens expressing objection viet Union, even if this consular
the Senate
tion were voted down in:
?
to the proposed consular convention with
had not been presented to the Senat
e
on cloy
unfortunately been misinformed. Right- sulates in -ouri
Theses
in 1948.
wing extremists have circulated Pam-. were in New York, San Francisco, and,
phlets distorting the facts. Probably the Los Angeles. In turn, we closed our con-
authors of those pamphlets themselves sulate in Vladivostok and refused to open
never read this proposed consular con- a consulate in Leningrad and another STATINTL
vention'upon which we Senators have Russian city. Permission had been given
been asked to advise and consent and , open such consulates. .
ratify. Ours is an open society. It is a fact
before re thethat in nearly all of our embassies over-,
consular I consider convention, the/hearings hhad read
the Foreign Relations Committee of thes..Yt'~ have nrA ~peratdvas, or_~pies,
Senate, the majority report and the who are on the Embassy staffs. of
minority views, there would be no such course, the Soviet Embassy in Washing
volume of mail, including hundreds of ton also is staffed with spies who are
postcards and letters- that I have received listed as officials of the embassy. I have
evidencing a lack of understanding of personally talked with some of our CIA
this treaty or conv tion. operatives in our embassies in foreign
Some have atatea that hearings should. countries and know the facts.
:'be held before the Senate votes to ratify. The Soviet Union with its satellites and
taining surveillance taking pictures of
missile installations. This consular
treaty is more to the advantage of the;
United States than it is to the Soviet
TJnion, Last year 12,000 American tour'
'fists.visited the Soviet Union. Only 204'
Russian tourists visited the United
States during the same period. It is very.
important and helpful to American tour-
ists to be able to go to the office of the
American consul 'in countries whenever
they encounter difficulty, financial or
otaeiwise. This consular convention is'
definitely beneficial to Americans. The'
junior Senator from Ohio intends to vote.
in favor of ratification.
At the present time, asstiming some,
of the more than 12,000 American tour-!
fists who will visit the Soviet Union dur-
1ng the present year lack sufficient funds.
they would be compelled to go to the
American Embassy in Moscow even
though they were in some faraway city
within the Soviet Union such as, Vladi-'
vostok or'somewhere closer to Leningrad.
'Furthermore, in event of a traffic acci-.
dent or were they to be charged with
i, some offense, however slight, they would
now be at a disadvantage. They would
not only hale the language barrier but
they would be altogether unfamiliar with. _
?the laws and ordinances of the Soviet
Union. They would have no place to
which to turn except to the U.S. Ambss-
sador or some member of his staff. They
might be many miles from our Embassy.
The facts are, the provisions of this,
convention are similar in substance to
all consular conventions between the
United States and other nations. Some,
misinformed individuals write me ob-,
jecting that article 19, paragraph 2, of
this convention, providing that all con-,
sular officials and employees who are na-:,
tionals of the sending state shall be im-.
mune from, the criminal jurisdiction of
the receiving state. This paragraph, in-,
stead of being objectionable, is definitely:
to the advantage of our Nation. It in::
sires the security of the 'U.S. Govern-'
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the Soviet Union. The Soviet police of Immediate benefit to Americans In applied to Soviet officers assigned ro So-'
have no right whatever to arrest any of terms of added protection that will be viet missions In the United States. Fur- .
our consular officials or employees. given to American tourists in the Soviet thermore, they would b-- subject ,o the.
Nor have we any right to arrest Soviet, Union. In this respect it has a special expulsion provision of the Consular Con-j
consular officials and employees who are advantage for our Nation. vention.
in their consulates within our country. - The consular convention does not by The important fact is that we would
We do have the right, which Is a recipro- itself authorize the opening of any con- be giving the Soviet Union nothiri that
i cal right, to expel immediately from our sulates in either country, but merely it does not already have. At the present
territory as persona non grata any So- provides a legal framework for their op- time it Is free to staff itc missions in the
viet consular. officials or employees who eratioii when and if they are opened. United States and Its Embassy in `Nash-
have allegedly violated any of our laws. In the past this Nation and the Soviet ington just as we freely select our own
We may expel any of such persons with- ' Union have exchanged consulates but ? staff members of our :Embassy in the
out announcing the reason. Russia has there has never been a consular conven- Soviet Union. Undoubtedly, some of
this right also. tion between the two countries. these so-called diplomats are Russian
Now, to the claim that some rightwing ? Furthermore, this convention would intelligence agents or to state the mat- ;
extremists make regarding the Soviet encourage trade between the United ter blpntly "spies." I would be shocked
Embassy in Washington being staffed States and the Soviet Union. We should to learn that we did not have a number:
- with spies. Of course, it Is well known proceed without delay to establish nor- of intelligence agents among our diplo-
that intelligence agents, or spies, are on mal trade relations with the Soviet Union matic representatives In the Soviet Un-'
the staffs of Embassies and consuls pf in nonstrategic materials selling at the ion. Unfortunately, this is a fact of life
the Soviet Union and on the staff of prac- outset whatever we produce that they In the cold war and we can play the game'
tically all Embassies of the United States may eat, drink, smoke, or wear and buy- as well as they., The danger of a few
0
0
the world over and also on the staffs of ing from them products which we need
any of our consulates wherever that staff and can use and of which we are lack-
consists of more than a very few individ- ? ,ing in this country. This will not only
uais. ease international tensions but will bring
I recall distinctly an Ambassador to a- added prosperity to businessmen and
Central American country regretfully re- working men and women throughout the
porting to me that he could place for my Nation, and in particular will help bring
use only a rather old automobile which added prosperity to-our family farmers
was provided for his use as Ambassador., and wheat growers.
Ile said that a new clerk, or attache, on " Furthermore, I propose that such trade
his staff had just come from the United be madee at world prices for cash on the
States-He was at a very low echelon in barrelhead and without any special fa-
his Embassy staff-and unfortunately vors or special discrimination. Why
this clerk brought with him the latest should we Americans stand at the side-
model Chrysler automobile and his lines while Canada, Great Britain, Aus-
blond secretary brought with her the tralia, West Germany, and other of our
latest model Chevrolet. He said, of allies trade on a huge scale with the
course, the Russians and Chinese are not Soviet Union and Red China? Last year
stupid. They knew immediately that West Germany exported more than $1
hp n?-,ja a CI agent instead nt an Fm- billion In goods and capital equipment
bassy clerk in which category he - was to eastern Europe. One-third of
listed. France's exports of capital goods ac-
The wisdom and good judgment of the cording to plans will go to the Soviet
fits to be gained by the ratification of
this convention.
Mr. President, it appears to me that
the real reason why some oppose ratifi-
cation is not because of Russian spying.
but because they fear any attempt to
normalize relations with the Communist
bloc nations and in their shortsi. hted-
ness and belligerence oppose rolucing
world tensions. If we are ever to attain
lasting peace It can only be achieved by
experiments in cooperation by the clti--
zens of the free world and those of the
Communist bloc. We must begin coop-:
grating in limited areas which are in the
best interests of both nations. The rati-
fication of the Consular Convention with
the Soviet Union is one such area where
we can begin. Mr. 'President. I spoke
out for. and voted In favor of, conflrat-;
ing the limited nuclear test ban treaty.
I am on' the side of these who hcpe for-
many, France, and Italy attain full em-., bahind the Iron Curtain:, instead of co-:
ros- annihilation.
ployment and enjoy unparalleled pros-"
r:a
i
l
r
t
rr
a
1e- V.Y
ge par
as a result of their
trade, while we. their ally and protector,
are depriving our businessmen and work-
ers of the opportunity to engage in this,
It will not only help reduce sources of., trade and are losing markets which in'
friction between us and the Russians but the near future may be of much greater,
will encourage the Soviet Union to con- value.
duct itself like other responsible nations There is no question that the trade
in its treatment of foreigners and foreign between the Soviet Union and the United'
interests within its borders. ? States will increase in years to come:'
fying this consular convention.
Mr. President, the ratification of the
consular convention with the Soviet
Union will not only further more nor-
mal relations with the Soviet Union, but
will be another small step forward in
the long road toward permanent peace.
It is essential that we have consular offi-
cials In key Russian commercial centers'
to help normalize that trade, and aid
American farmers; wheat producers, and,,
businessmen seeking it.
Mr. President, most of the opposition
to this convention arises from a fear that .
the Soviet Union will be able to establish :
additional bases of espionage in this
country through newly opened con-'
sulfites. Secretary 'of State Rusk as
sured the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions that if, after ratification of the ?
convention, we agree to the opening of
a Soviet consulate in an American city,'
its employees will be subject to the same.,
visa screening and entry controls as offi-,
cers and employees of.the Soviet Embassy.;
in Washington. They would also be sub-';
The VICE PRESIDENT. The time of
the Senator from Ohio has expired.
Mr. YOUNG of Ohio. Mr. President, I
ask unanimous consent that I may pro-
ceed for 2 additional minutes.
The VICE PRESIDENT. Without ob-
jection, it is so ordered.
Mr. YOUNG of Ohio. Mr. President,
ours is an open society. The Soviet
Union is a closed society. The conven-
tion, or treaty, can be a wedge toward
opening the Soviet Union to the ideas
and thoughts of the West. The winds of
change and freedom are blowing
throughout the world and every attempt
possible should be made to permit them
to flow through the Soviet Union.
Travel of Americans to the Soviet
Union will increase each year. The
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