My telegram No. 76 [1]-prisoners of war.

1. Molotov was unable to see me; he asked that I see Vyshinski.

[2] Last night I presented a note addressed to Molotov through
Vyshinski which asked that the question of the wives of MacCallum,
Grayston and Hawking [3] being refused permission to leave the
U.S.S.R. with their husbands be dealt with as a matter of urgency
and that the Soviet grant these women permission to accompany
their husbands.

2. I took advantage of this note to also bring to the personal
attention of Molotov the deep concern of the Australian Government
for the well being of Australians liberated from German prison
camps.

3. On the question of wives of our three men at Odessa I was told
that it was not possible to do as I requested. Only the Supreme
Soviet could release them from citizenship and it was necessary
that they obtain such release before any one could permit them to
leave the U.S.S.R. The women themselves would have to lodge with
the Supreme Soviet personal application for release from
citizenship. When their husbands left Odessa the women would be
returned to the village or town to which they belonged and would
have to lodge their application with their local militia in such
place. It was not possible to allow them to remain at Odessa after
their husbands had left nor was it possible to allow them to come
to Moscow. It would be some time before the Supreme Soviet would
deal with their applications if they were lodged.

4. On the question of our ex prisoners of war generally, Vyshinski
said there were no more Australian ex prisoners of war in Poland
and the Soviet were sending all British and American liberated
prisoners of war straight to Odessa as fast as they were liberated
or found them. He instanced 29 British [4] liberated on 21st March
and on 22nd March were on their way to Odessa. I pointed out that
I had been told before that no Australian ex prisoners of war were
in Poland but the facts had proven otherwise. He explained that it
was difficult for his officers to distinguish Australians from
English liberated prisoners. He would give instructions to his
officers to make a proper check for Australians in future and
wished to assure the Australian Government that the Soviet would
do everything possible to have all liberated prisoners of war sent
to Odessa for embarkation as soon as they were liberated or came
into contact with Soviet forces.

5. My interview with Vyshinski lasted 45 minutes during which
time I pressed most strongly the case for the wives of our three
men at
Odessa and for a more liberal interpretation by the Soviet of
Article 2
of the Crimea prisoners of war agreement. [5] Finally I requested
Vyshinski
to convey my note and personal representations to Molotov.

6. The impressions given to me by Vyshinski during this interview
led me to believe that the chances of getting permission for the
wives
of our three men to join their husbands in the near future are
hopeless.

There may be a very remote chance when the war is over. I do not
believe that the Soviet will grant additional facilities for
either British or American contact parties in Poland other than
they have already granted but I think that the complaints that we
have made have led the Soviet to attempt to have all British and
American ex prisoners of war transported to Odessa as soon as they
are found, thereby keeping them in transit and leaving Odessa the
only concentration point or camp within the terms of the Crimea
agreement as forecast in my telegram 40, paragraph 8. [6]

MALONEY