4 - Two Russian Gentlemen

Summary

Chapter 4 uncovers how State Department officials circumvented American immigration law’s ban on admitting people “affiliated” with an organization, such as the Communist Party, that American officials understood as committed to the violent overthrow of the United States government. Ilf and Petrov were not members of the Communist Party, but as members of the Soviet Writers’ Union they too fell afoul of American immigration restrictions. In their case, as in many others, the State Department prevailed upon the Department of Labor to issue visas, arguing that their visit did not constitute a threat and might offer some “benefit” to the United States. Ilf and Petrov, sensing the delicacy of the situation, were not entirely truthful in their visa applications, as they denied knowing anyone in the United States.