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5 I CO G TELEt::PAM Department ofState Ul-G~ 
Action C 0 NT R0L: 1 9 95 2 
ELllR RECD: DECEMBER 3 1, 1963 , 11: 3 4 AM 
Info  
FROM:  BERLIN  
.  DECLASSifIED  
H SAL  ACTION: I ~O:  SEC ST ATE BONN 7 99  8 7 4  Authority E o· 11 r:: , -· · G,-:2 SEC. 5(A and (D) By ~ --­· · , NA.Rs, Date L/­-;;it:, ­7h '  
BT:'ir -·N  DATE:  DECEMBER  3 1, 3  \ PM  ..  

SCA 
scs 
ru ffi. 
SUBJ: US CI TI ZENS IMPRISONED IN EAST GERMANY <HAMMERSTEIN AND 
LOBA ) • . 
HEF: DEPTEL 4 93 TO BERLIN. 

SINCE MCGHEE-ABRASI ~;1ov MEETING DEC 4 MISSION OFFICER HAS r:·.7I CE RAISED HA1·jMERSTEI N c A SE WI TH scSvEMB 0FFI CER. LATTER HAS GI VE NO RPT NO FURTHER INDICATIONS OF SOV I NTENI'I ONS, BUT P..SKED FOR DETAILED I L\1FO ON LAST FORMAL STEPS TAKEN BY EAST BERLIN ATORNEY VOGEL. DESPITE REPEATED EFFORTS OVER PAST TE l DAYS, MISSION OFFICER HAS BEEN UNABLE RENEW CONTACT UITH SOVEMB OFFICER T 0 PROVIDE I NF 0 RE QUESTED. <DELI BERATE EVA SI VE­dESS OF E1·1BOFF IS PRESUMABLY ALSO CONNECTED WI TH SOV ST ALLI NG RE GEN POLK'S PROPOSED VISIT TO EAST BERLIN.) 
VCGEL HAS BEEN ON VACATION SI ~tE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. HE WAS SUPPOSED INTERRUPT VACATION AND RETURN BRIEFLY TO BERLIN LAST WEEKEND FOR MEETING WI TH MISSION OFFICER. CONfRARY TO EXPECTATIONS, VOGEL DID NOT RPT NOT RETURN 13ERLI N AND IS NOT RPT NOT NOW EXPECTED BAC l{ UNTIL l"JI D-JANUARY. VOGEL WROTE HAMMERSTEIN DEC 
23 STATING RELEASE ON BASIS CLEMEN:Y APPEAL NOT RPT NOT POSSIBLE AT PRESENT. 
WEST BERLIN ATTORNEY STA~E HAS REPORTED THAT RELEASE OF LOBA, WHICH VCGEL HAD INDICATED MIGHT BE EXPECTED BEFORE END OF YEAR, HAS RUN I NI'O SNAGS. STA~E UNABLE GI VE PRECISE DETAILS OF WHAT INVOLVED. 
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tv[ SSI ON WILL· GI VE ~'1EXT-0F-KI N STATUS REPORTS BASED ON ABOVE INFO AND WILL CONTINJE ENDEAVOR ASCERTAIN PROSPECTS IN CASES THROUGH SOVS AND/OR VOGEL. 
CALHOUN . 
GP-4 

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