State Department Defends Red Travel in Cambridge

The state Department has finally answered charges made a month ago by Mayor John J. Foley, City Manager John J. Curry, and members of the Cambridge City Council, who protested against leaving Cambridge open to Russian travelers when Boston and most of Massachusetts were closed.

"Permitting Russians to enter Cambridge is neither a threat to United States security nor a alight on the importance of Cambridge," State Department officials said. "It would do the Russians good to see a monument to American democratic education like Harvard," they added.

The restrictions on Russian travel will maintain U.S. security and make travel in America just as difficult as it is in Russia, the Department said. But Russia does not curtail travel in most educational centers, so the department left Cambridge open.

Cambridge important, But Cultural

"Of course, Cambridge is important to the United States," officials said, "but we felt we would again more by admitting the Russians to educational communities than by excluding them." City Manager John J. Curry had expresses amazement that the State Department would admit Russians to a "number one target like Cambridge."

"Leaving Cambridge open is not intended as an invitation to espionage," the department said. "But we did it deliberately to confuse the Russians. We didn't want to give them a blue print for locating spies, so we closed some areas which are not important to security, and left other vital ones open."

The State Department admitted that thus far local officials have been more confused than the Russians. Since the order was issued, the Russians have been silent, but many city and state officials have asked for explanations.

"Our policy on which areas to close was never rigid," the Department explained, "and if officials had asked us instead of voicing their complaint, a lot of trouble would have been averted."