DOCUMENT NO. 1
Cable from
Ambassador Francis in Petrograd to the Department of State in
Washington, D.C., dated March 14, 1917, and reporting the first
stage of the Russian Revolution (861.00/273).
Petrograd
Dated March 14, 1917,
Recd. 15th, 2:30 a.m.
Secretary of
State,
Washington
1287.
Unable to send a cablegram since the eleventh. Revolutionists have
absolute control in Petrograd and are making strenuous efforts to
preserve order, which successful except in rare instances. No
cablegrams since your 1251 of the ninth, received March eleventh.
Provisional government organized under the authority of the Douma
which refused to obey the Emperor's order of the adjournment.
Rodzianko, president of the Douma, issuing orders over his own
signature. Ministry reported to have resigned. Ministers found are
taken before the Douma, also many Russian officers and other high
officials. Most if not all regiments ordered to Petrograd have
joined the revolutionists after arrival. American colony safe. No
knowledge of any injuries to American citizens.
FRANCIS,
American Ambassador
On receipt
of the preceding cable, Robert Lansing, Secretary of State, made its
contents available to President Wilson (861.00/273):
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
My Dear Mr.
President:
I enclose
to you a very important cablegram which has just come from
Petrograd, and also a clipping from the New York WORLD of this
morning, in which a statement is made by Signor Scialoia, Minister
without portfolio in the Italian Cabinet, which is significant in
view of Mr. Francis' report. My own impression is that the Allies
know of this matter and I presume are favorable to the
revolutionists since the Court party has been, throughout the war,
secretely pro-German.
Faithfully
yours,
ROBERT LANSING
Enclosure:
The President,
The White House
COMMENT
The
significant phrase in the Lansing-Wilson letter is "My own
impression is that the Allies know of this matter and I presume are
favorable to the revolutionists since the Court party has been,
throughout the war, secretely pro-German." It will be recalled
(chapter two) that Ambassador Dodd claimed that Charles R. Crane, of
Westinghouse and of Crane Co. in New York and an adviser to
President Wilson, was involved in this first revolution.
DOCUMENT NO. 2
Memorandum
from Great Britain Foreign Office file FO 371/ 2999 (The War —
Russia), October 23, 1917, file no. 3743.
DOCUMENT
Personal (and)
Secret.
Disquieting
rumors have reached us from more than one source that Kerensky is m
German pay and that he and his government are doing their utmost to
weaken (and) disorganize Russia, so as to arrive at a situation when
no other course but a separate peace would be possible. Do you
consider that there is any ground for such insinuations, and that
the government by refraining from any effective action are purposely
allowing the Bolshevist elements to grow stronger?
If it
should be a question of bribery we might be able to compete
successfully if it were known how and through what agents it could
be done, although it is not a pleasant thought.
COMMENT
Refers to
information that Kerensky was in German pay.
DOCUMENT NO. 3
Consists of
four parts:
(a) Cable
from Ambassador Francis, April 27, 1917, in Petrograd to Washington,
D.C., requesting transmission of a message from prominent Russian
Jewish bankers to prominent Jewish bankers in New York and
requesting their subscription to the Kerensky Liberty Loan
(861.51/139).
(b) Reply
from Louis Marshall (May 10, 1917) representing American Jews; he
declined the invitation while expressing support for the American
Liberty Loan (861.51/143).
(c) Letter
from Jacob Schiff of Kuhn, Loeb (November 25, 1918) to State
Department (Mr. Polk) relaying a message from Russian Jewish banker
Kamenka calling for Allied help against the Bolsheviks
("because Bolshevist government does not represent Russian People").
(d) Cable from
Kamenka relayed by Jacob Schiff.
DOCUMENTS
(a) Secretary
of State
Washington.
1229, twenty-seventh.
Please
deliver following to Jacob Schiff, Judge Brandies [sic],
Professor Gottheil, Oscar Strauss [sic], Rabbi Wise,
Louis Marshall and Morgenthau:
"We Russian
Jews always believed that liberation of Russia meant also our
liberation. Being deeply devoted to country we placed implicit trust
temporary Government. We know the unlimited economic power of Russia
and her immense natural resources and the emancipation we obtained
will enable us to participate development country. We firmly believe
that victorious finish of the war owing help our allies and United
States is near.
Temporary
Government issuing now new public loan of freedom and we feel our
national duty support loan high vital for war and freedom. We are
sure that Russia has an unshakeable power of public credit and will
easily bear a.11 necessary financial burden. We formed special
committee of Russian Jews for supporting loan consisting
representatives financial, industrial trading circles and leading
public men.
We inform
you here of and request our brethern beyong [sic] the
seas to support freedom of Russian which became now case humanity
and world's civilization. We suggest you form there special
committee and let us know of steps you may take Jewish committee
support success loan of freedom. Boris Kamenka, Chairman, Baron
Alexander Gunzburg, Henry Silosberg."
FRANCIS
* * * * *
(b) Dear Mr.
Secretary:
After
reporting to our associates the result of the interview which you
kindly granted to Mr. Morgenthau, Mr. Straus and myself, in regard
to the advisability of calling for subscriptions to the Russian
Freedom Loan as requested in the cablegram of Baron Gunzburg and
Messrs. Kamenka and Silosberg of Petrograd, which you recently
communicated to us, we have concluded to act strictly upon your
advice. Several days ago we promised our friends at Petrograd an
early reply to their call for aid. We would therefore greatly
appreciate the forwarding of the following cablegram, provided its
terms have your approval:
"Boris
Kamenka,
Don Azov Bank, Petrograd.
Our
State Department which we have consulted regards any present
attempt toward securing public subscriptions here for any
foreign loans inadvisable; the concentration of all efforts for
the success of American war loans being essential, thereby
enabling our Government to supply funds to its allies at lower
interest rates than otherwise possible. Our energies to help the
Russian cause most effectively must therefore necessarily be
directed to encouraging subscriptions to American Liberty Loan.
Schiff, Marshall, Straus, Morgenthau, Wise, Gonheil."
You are of
course at liberty to make any changes in the phraseology of this
suggested cablegram which you may deem desirable and which will
indicate that our failure to respond directly to the request that
has come to us is due to our anxiety to make our activities most
efficient.
May I ask
you to send me a copy of the cablegram as forwarded, with a
memorandum of the cost so that the Department may be promptly
reimbursed.
I am, with
great respect,
Faithfully yours,
[sgd.] Louis Marshall
The Secretary
of State
Washington, D.C.
* * *
* *
(c) Dear Mr.
Polk:
Will you
permit me to send you copy of a cablegram received this morning and
which I think, for regularity's sake, should be brought to the
notice of the Secretary of State or your good self, for such
consideration as it might be thought well to give this.
Mr. Kamenka,
the sender of this cablegram, is one of the leading men in Russia
and has, I am informed, been financial advisor both of the Prince
Lvoff government and of the Kerensky government. He is President of
the Banque de Commerce de l'Azov Don of Petrograd, one of the most
important financial institutions of Russia, but had, likely, to
leave Russia with the advent of Lenin and his "comrades."
Let me take
this opportunity to send sincere greetings to you and Mrs. Polk and
to express the hope that you are now in perfect shape again, and
that Mrs. Polk and the children are in good health.
Faithfully
yours,
[sgd.] Jacob H. Schiff
Hon. Frank L. Polk
Counsellor of the State Dept.
Washington, D.C.
MM-Encl.
[Dated November 25, 1918]
* * *
* *
(d) Translation:
The complete
triumph of liberty and right furnishes me a new opportunity to
repeat to you my profound admiration for the noble American nation.
Hope to see now quick progress on the part of the Allies to help
Russia in reestablishing order. Call your attention also to pressing
necessity of replacing in Ukraine enemy troops at the very moment of
their retirement in order to avoid Bolshevist devastation. Friendly
intervention of Allies would be greeted everywhere with enthusiasm
and looked upon as democratic action, because Bolshevist government
does not represent Russian people. Wrote you September 19th. Cordial
greetings.
[sgd.]
Kamenka
COMMENT
This is an
important series because it refutes the story of a Jewish bank
conspiracy behind the Bolshevik Revolution. Clearly Jacob Schiff of
Kuhn, Loeb was not interested in supporting the Kerensky Liberty
Loan and Schiff went to the trouble of drawing State Department
attention to Kamenka's pleas for Allied intervention against the
Bolsheviks. Obviously Schiff and fellow banker Kamenka, unlike J.P.
Morgan and John D. Rockefeller, were as unhappy about the Bolsheviks
as they had been about the tsars.
DOCUMENT NO. 4
Description
Memorandum
from William Boyce Thompson (director of the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York) to Lloyd George (prime minister of Great Britain),
December 1917.
DOCUMENT
FIRST
The Russian
situation is lost and Russia lies entirely open to unopposed German
exploitation unless a radical reversal of policy is at once
undertaken by the Allies.
SECOND
Because of
their shortsighted diplomacy, the Allies since the Revolution have
accomplished nothing beneficial, and have done considerable harm to
their own interests.
THIRD
The Allied
representatives in Petrograd have been lacking in
sympathetic understanding of the desire of the Russian people to
attain democracy. Our representatives were first connected
officially with the Czar's regime. Naturally they have been
influenced by that environment.
FOURTH
Meanwhile,
on the other hand, the Germans have conducted propaganda that has
undoubtedly aided them materially in destroying the Government, in
wrecking the army and in destroying trade and industry. If this
continues unopposed it may result in the complete exploitation of
the great country by Germany against the Allies.
FIFTH
I base my
opinion upon a careful and intimate study of the situation both
outside and inside official circles, during my stay in Petrograd
between August 7 and November 29, 1917.
SIXTH
"What can
be done to improve the situation of the Allies in Russia"?
The
diplomatic personnel, both British and American, should be changed
to one democratic in spirit and capable of sustaining democratic
sympathy.
There
should be erected a powerful, unofficial committee, with
headquarters in Petrograd, to operate in the background, so to
speak, the influence of which in matters of policy should be
recognized and accepted by the DIPLOMATIC, CONSULAR and MILITARY
officials of the Allies. Such committee should be so composed in
personnel as to make it possible to entrust to it wide discretionary
powers. It would presumably undertake work in various channels. The
nature of which will become obvious as the task progress. es; it.
would aim to meet all new conditions as they might arise.
SEVENTH
It is
impossible now to define at all completely the scope of this new
Allied committee. I can perhaps assist to a better understanding of
its possible usefulness and service by making a brief reference to
the work which I started and which is now in the hands of Raymond
Robins, who is well and favorably known to Col. Buchan — a work
which in the future will undoubtedly have to be somewhat altered and
added to in order to meet new conditions. My work has been performed
chiefly through a Russian "Committee on Civic Education" aided by
Madame Breshkovsky, the Grandmother of the Revolution. She was
assisted by Dr. David Soskice, the private secretary of the then
Prime Minister Kerensky (now of London); Nicholas Basil Tchaikovsky,
at one time Chairman of the Peasants Co-operative Society, and by
other substantial social revolutionaries constituting the saving
element of democracy as between the extreme "Right" of the official
and property-owning class, and the extreme "Left" embodying the most
radical elements of the socialistic parties. The aim of this
committee, as stated in a cable message from Madame Breshkovsky to
President Wilson, can be gathered from this quotation: "A widespread
education is necessary to make Russia an orderly democracy. We plan
to bring this education to the soldier in the camp, to the workman
in the factory, to the peasant in the village." Those aiding in this
work realized that for centuries the masses had been under the heel
of Autocracy which had given them not protection but oppression;
that a democratic form of government in Russian could be maintained
only BY THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMAN ARMY; BY THE OVERTHROW OF GERMAN
AUTOCRACY. Could free Russia, unprepared for great governmental
responsibilities, uneducated, untrained, be expected long to survive
with imperial Germany her next door neighbor? Certainly not.
Democratic Russia would become speedily the greatest war prize the
world has even known.
The
Committee designed to have an educational center in each regiment of
the Russian army, in the form of Soldiers' Clubs. These clubs were
organized as rapidly as possible, and lecturers were employed to
address the soldiers. The lecturers were in reality teachers, and it
should be remembered that there is a percentage of 90 among the
soldiers of Russia who can neither read nor write. At the time of
the Bolshevik outbreak many of these speakers were in the field
making a fine impression and obtaining excellent results. There were
250 in the city of Moscow alone. It was contemplated by the
Committee to have at least 5000 of these lecturers. We had under
publication many newspapers of the "A B C" class, printing matter in
the simplest style, and were assisting about 100 more. These papers
carried the appeal for patriotism, unity and co-ordination into the
homes of the workmen and the peasants.
After the
overthrow of the last Kerensky government we materially aided the
dissemination of the Bolshevik literature, distributing it through
agents and by aeroplanes to the German army. If the suggestion is
permissible, it might be well to consider whether it would not be
desirable to have this same Bolshevik literature sent into Germany
and Austria across the West and Italian fronts.
EIGHTH
The
presence of a small number of Allied troops in Petrograd would
certainly have done much to prevent the overthrow of the Kerensky
government in November. I should like to suggest for your
consideration, if present conditions continue, the concentration of
all the British and French Government employes in Petrograd, and if
the necessity should arise it might be formed into a fairly
effective force. It might be advisable even to pay a small sum to a
Russian force. There is also a large body of volunteers recruited in
Russia, many of them included in the Inteligentzia of "Center"
class, and these have done splendid work in the trenches. They might
properly be aided.
NINTH
If you ask
for a further programme I should say that it is impossible to give
it now. I believe that intelligent and courageous work will still
prevent Germany from occupying the field to itself and thus
exploiting Russia at the expense of the Allies. There will be many
ways in which this service can be rendered which will become obvious
as the work progresses.
COMMENT
Following
this memorandum the British war cabinet changed its policy to one of
tepid pro-Bolshevism. Note that Thompson admits to distribution of
Bolshevik literature by his agents. The confusion over the date on
which Thompson left Russia (he states November 29th in this
document) is cleared up by the Pirnie papers at the Hoover
Institution. There were several changes of travel plans and Thompson
was still in Russia in early December. The memorandum was probably
written in Petrograd in late November.
DOCUMENT NO. 5
DESCRIPTION
Letter dated
May 9, 1918, from Felix Frankfurter (then special assistant to the
secretary of war) to Santeri Nuorteva (alias for Alexander Nyberg),
a Bolshevik agent in the United States. Listed as Document No. 1544
in the Lusk Committee files, New York:
DOCUMENT
WAR
DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON
May 9, 1918
My dear Mr.
Nhorteva [sic]:
Thank you
very much for your letter of the 4th. I knew you would understand
the purely friendly and wholly unofficial character of our talk, and
I appreciate the prompt steps you have taken to correct your Sirola*
letter. Be wholly assured that nothing has transpired which
diminishes my interest in the questions which you present. Quite the
contrary. I am much interested in** the
considerations you are advancing and for the point of view you are
urging. The issues*** at stake are the interests
that mean much for the whole world. To meet them adequately we need
all the knowledge and wisdom we can possibly get****.
Cordially
yours,
Felix Frankfurter
Santeri
Nuorteva, Esq.
* Yrjo
Sirola was a Bolshevik and commissar in Finland.
** Original text, "continually grateful to you
for."
*** Original text, "interests."
**** Original text added "these days."
COMMENT
This letter
by Frankfurter was written to Nuorteva/Nyberg, a Bolshevik agent in
the United States, at a time when Frankfurter held an official
position as special assistant to Secretary of War Baker in the War
Department. Apparently Nyberg was willing to change a letter to
commissar "Sirola" according to Frankfurter's instructions. The Lusk
Committee acquired the original Frankfurter draft including
Frankfurter's changes and not the letter received by Nyberg.
THE
SOVIET BUREAU IN 1920
|
Position
|
Name |
Citizenship
|
Born |
Former Employment
|
|
Representa tive of
USSR |
Ludwig C.A.K. MARTENS
|
German |
Russia |
V-P of Weinberg &
Posner Engineer ing (120 Broadway) |
|
Office manager
|
Gregory WEINSTEIN
|
Russian |
Russia |
Journalist
|
|
Secretary
|
Santeri NUORTEVA
|
Finnish |
Russia |
Journalist
|
|
Assistant secretary
|
Kenneth DURANT
|
U.S. |
U.S. |
(1) U.S. Committee on
Public Information
(2) Former aide to Colonel House |
|
Private secre tary to
NUOR TEVA |
Dorothy KEEN
|
U.S. |
U.S. |
High school
|
|
Translator
|
Mary MODELL
|
Russian |
Russia |
School in Russia
|
|
File clerk
|
Alexander COLEMAN
|
U.S. |
U.S. |
High school
|
|
Telephone clerk
|
Blanche ABUSHEVITZ
|
Russian |
Russia |
High school
|
|
Office attendant
|
Nestor KUNTZEVICH
|
Russian |
Russia |
— |
|
Military expert
|
Lt. Col. Boris
Tagueeff Roustam BEK |
Russian |
Russia |
Military critic on
Daily
Express
(London) |
|
Commercial
Department
|
|
|
|
|
Director |
A. HELLER |
Russian |
U.S. |
International Oxy gen
Company |
|
Secretary |
Ella TUCH |
Russian |
U.S. |
U.S. firms |
|
Clerk |
Rose HOLLAND |
U.S. |
U.S. |
Gary School League |
|
Clerk |
Henrietta MEEROWICH |
Russian |
Russia |
Social worker |
|
Clerk |
Rose BYERS |
Russian |
Russia |
School |
|
Statistician |
Vladimir OLCHOVSKY |
Russian |
Russia |
Russian Army |
|
Information Department
|
|
|
|
|
Director |
Evans CLARK |
U.S. |
U.S. |
Princeton University |
|
Clerk |
Nora G. SMITHMAN |
U.S. |
U.S. |
Ford Peace Expedition |
|
Steno |
Etta FOX |
U.S. |
U.S. |
War Trade Board |
|
— |
Wilfred R. HUMPHRIES |
U.K. |
— |
American Red Cross |
|
Technical Dept. |
|
|
|
|
Director |
Arthur ADAMS |
Russian |
U.S. |
— |
|
Educational Dept.
|
|
|
|
|
Director |
William MALISSOFF |
Russian |
U.S. |
Columbia University |
|
Medical Dept. |
|
|
|
|
Director |
Leo A. HUEBSCH |
Russian |
U.S. |
Medical doctor |
| |
D. H. DUBROWSKY |
Russian |
U.S. |
Medical doctor |
|
Legal Dept. |
|
|
|
|
Director |
Morris HILLQUIT |
Lithuanian |
— |
— |
| |
Counsel retained: |
|
|
|
| |
Charles RECHT |
|
|
|
| |
Dudley Field MALONE |
|
|
|
| |
George Cordon BATTLE |
|
|
|
|
Dept. of Economics
& Statistics |
|
|
|
|
Director |
Isaac A. HOURWICH |
Russian |
U.S. |
U.S. Bureau of Census |
| |
Eva JOFFE |
Russian |
U.S. |
National Child
Labor Commission |
|
Steno |
Elizabeth GOLDSTEIN |
Russian |
U.S. |
Student |
|
Editorial Staff of
Soviet Russia |
|
|
|
|
Managing editor |
Jacob w. HARTMANN |
U.S. |
U.S. |
College of City
of New York |
|
Steno |
Ray TROTSKY |
Russian |
Russia |
Student |
|
Translator |
Theodnre BRESLAUER |
Russian |
Russia |
— |
|
Clerk |
Vastly IVANOFF |
Russian |
Russia |
— |
|
Clerk |
David OLDFIELD |
Russian |
Russia |
— |
|
Translator |
J. BLANKSTEIN |
Russian |
Russia |
— |
SOURCE: |
U.S., House, Conditions in Russia (Committee on
Foreign Affairs), 66th Cong., 3rd sess. (Washington, D.C.,
1921). |
| |
See also
British list in U.S. State Department Decimal File,
316-22-656, which also has the name of Julius Hammer. |
DOCUMENT NO. 7
DESCRIPTION
Letter from
National City Bank of New York to the U.S. Treasury, April 15, 1919,
with regard to Ludwig Martens and his associate Dr. Julius Hammer
(316-118).
DOCUMENT
The National
City Bank of New York
New York, April 15, 1919
Honorable Joel
Rathbone,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr.
Rathbone:
I beg to
hand you herewith photographs of two documents which we have
received this morning by registered mail from a Mr. L. Martens who
claims to be the representative in the United States of the Russian
Socialist Federal Soviet Republic, and witnessed by a Dr. Julius
Hammer for the Acting Director of the Financial Department.
You will
see from these documents that there is a demand being made upon us
for any and all funds on deposit with us in the name of Mr. Boris
Bakhmeteff, alleged Russian Ambassador in the United States, or in
the name of any individual, committee, or mission purporting to act
in behalf of the Russian Government in subordination to Mr.
Bakhmeteff or directly.
We should
be very glad to receive from you whatever advice or instructions you
may care to give us in this matter.
Yours
respectfully,
[sgd.] J. H. Carter,
Vice President.
JHC:M
Enclosure
COMMENTS
The
significance of this letter is related to the long-time association
(1917-1974) of the Hammer family with the Soviets.
DOCUMENT NO. 8
DESCRIPTION
Letter
dated August 3, 1920, from Soviet courier "Bill" Bobroff to Kenneth
Durant, former aide to Colonel House. Taken from Bobroff by U.S.
Department of Justice.
DOCUMENT
Department of
Justice
Bureau of Investigation,
15 Park Row, New York City, N. Y.,
August 10, 1920
Director
Bureau of Investigation
United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
Confirming telephone conversation with Mr. Ruch today, I am
transmitting herewith original documents taken from the effects of
B. L. Bobroll, steamship
Frederick VIII.
The letter
addressed Mr. Kenneth Durant, signed by Bill, dated August 3, 1920,
together with the translation from "Pravda," July 1, 1920, signed by
Trotzki, and copies of cablegrams were found inside the blue
envelope addressed Mr. Kenneth Durant, 228 South Nineteenth Street,
Philadelphia, Pa. This blue envelope was in turn sealed inside the
white envelope attached.
Most of the
effects of Mr. Bobroff consisted of machinery catalogues,
specifications, correspondence regarding the shipment of various
equipment, etc., to Russian ports. Mr. Bobroff was closely
questioned by Agent Davis and the customs authorities, and a
detailed report of same will be sent to Washington.
Very truly
yours,
G. F. Lamb,
Division Superintendent
LETTER TO
KENNETH DURANT
Dear
Kenneth: Thanks for your most welcome letter. I have felt very much
cut off and hemmed in, a feeling which has been sharply emphasized
by recent experiences. I have felt distressed at inability to force
a different attitude toward the bureau and to somehow get funds to
you. To cable $5,000 to you, as was done last week, is but a sorry
joke. I hope the proposal to sell gold in America, about which we
have been cabling recently, will soon be found practicable.
Yesterday we cabled asking if you could sell 5,000,000 rubles at a
minimum of 45 cents, present market rate being 51.44 cents. That
would net at least $2,225,000. L's present need is $2,000,000 to pay
Niels Juul & Co., in Christiania, for the first part of the coal
shipment from America to Vardoe, Murmansk, and Archangel. The first
ship is nearing Vardoe and the second left New York about July 28.
Altogether, Niels Juul & Co., or rather the Norges' Bank, of
Christiania, on their and our account, hold $11,000,000 gold rubles
of ours, which they themselves brought from Reval to Christiania, as
security for our coal order and the necessary tonnage, but the
offers for purchase of this gold that they have so far been able to
get are very poor, the best being $575 per kilo, whereas the rate
offered by the American Mint or Treasury Department is now $644.42,
and considering the large sum involved it would be a shame to let it
go at too heavy a loss. I hope that ere you get this you will have
been able to effect the sale, at the same time thus getting a
quarter of a million dollars or more for the bureau. If we can't in
some way pay the $2,000,000 in Christiania, that was due four days
ago, within a very short time, Niels Juul & Co. will have the right
to sell our gold that they now hold at the best price then
obtainable, which, as stated above, is quite low.
We don't
know yet how the Canadian negotiations are going on. We understand
Nuorteva turned over the strings to Shoen when N.'s arrest seemed
imminent. We don't at this writing know where Nuorteva is. Our guess
is that after his enforced return to England from Esbjerg, Denmark,
Sir Basil Thomson had him shipped aboard a steamer for Reval, but we
have not yet heard from Reval that he has arrived there, and we
certainly would hear from Goukovski or from N. himself. Humphries
saw Nuorteva at Esbjerg, and is himself in difficulties with the
Danish police because of it. All his connections are being probed
for; his passport has been taken away: he has been up twice for
examination, and it looks as if he will be lucky if he escapes
deportation. It was two weeks ago that Nuorteva arrived at Esbjerg,
300 miles from here, but having no Danish visé, the Danish
authorities refused to permit him to land, and he was transferred to
a steamer due to sail at 8 o'clock the following morning. By
depositing 200 kroner he was allowed shore leave for a couple of
hours. Wanting to get Copenhagen on long-distance wire and having
practically no more money, he once more pawned that gold watch of
his for 25 kroner, therewith getting in touch with Humphries, who
within half an hour jumped aboard the night train, slept on the
floor, and arrived at Esbjerg at 7:30. Humphries found Nuorteva, got
permission from the captain to go aboard, had 20 minutes with N.,
then had to go ashore and the boat sailed. Humphries was then
invited to the police office by two plain-clothes men, who had been
observing the proceedings. He was closely questioned, address taken,
then released, and that night took train back to Copenhagen. He sent
telegrams to Ewer, of Daily Herald, Shoen, and to Kliskho, at 128
New Bond Street, urging them to be sure and meet Nuorteva's boat, so
that N. couldn't again be spirited away, but we don't know yet just
what happened. The British Government vigorously denied that they
had any intention of sending him to Finland. Moscow has threatened
reprisals if anything happens to him. Meantime, the investigation of
H. has begun. He was called upon at his hotel by the police,
requested to go to headquarters (but not arrested), and we
understand that his case is now before the minister of justice.
Whatever may be the final outcome, Humphries comments upon the
reasonable courtesy shown him, contrasting it with the ferocity of
the Red raids in America.
He found
that at detective headquarters they knew of some of his outgoing
letters and telegrams.
I was
interested in your favorable comment upon the Krassin interview of
Tobenken's (you do not mention the Litvinoff one), because I had to
fight like a demon with L. to get the opportunities for Tobenken.
Through T. arrived with a letter from Nuorteva, as also did Arthur
Ruhl, L. brusquely turned down in less than one minute the
application T. was making to go into Russia, would hardly take time
to hear him, saying it was impossible to allow two correspondents
from the same paper to enter Russia. He gave a visé to Ruhl, largely
because of a promise made last summer to Ruhl by L. Ruhl then went
off to Reval, there to await the permission that L. had cabled
asking Moscow to give. Tobenken, a nervous, almost a broken man
because of his turn down, stayed here. I realized the mistake that
had been made by the snap judgment, and started in on the job of
getting it changed. Cutting a long story short, I got him to Reval
with a letter to Goukovsky from L. In the meantime Moscow refused
Ruhl, notwithstanding L's visé. L. was maddened at affront to his
visé, and insisted that it be honored. It was, and Ruhl prepared to
leave. Suddenly word came from Moscow to Ruhl revoking the
permission and to Litvinoff, saying that information had reached
Moscow that Ruhl was in service of State Department. At time of
writing, both Tobenken and Ruhl are in Reval, stuck.
I told L.
this morning of the boat leaving tomorrow and of the courier B.
available, asked him if he had anything to write to Martens, offered
to take it in shorthand for him, but no, he said he had nothing to
write about that I might perhaps send duplicates of our recent
cables to Martens.
Kameneff
passed by here on a British destroyer en route to London, and didn't
stop off here at all, and Krassin went direct from Stockholm. Of the
negotiations, allied and Polish, and of the general situation you
know about as much as we do here. L's negotiations with the Italians
have finally resulted in establishing of mutual representation. Our
representative, Vorovsky, has already gone to Italy and their
representative, M. Gravina, is en route to Russia. We have just sent
two ship loads of Russian wheat to Italy from Odessa.
Give my
regards to the people of your circle that I know. With all good
wishes to you.
Sincerely
yours,
Bill
The batch of letters you
sent — 5 Cranbourne Road, Charlton cum Hardy, Manchester, has not
yet arrived.
L's
recommendation to Moscow, since M. asked to move to Canada, is that
M. should be appointed there, and that N., after having some weeks
in Moscow acquainting himself first hand, should be appointed
representative to America.
L. is
sharply critical of the bureau for giving too easily visés and
recommendations. He was obviously surprised and incensed when B.
reached here with contracts secured in Moscow upon strength of
letters given to him by M. The later message from M. evidently
didn't reach Moscow. What L. plans to do about it I don't know. I
would suggest that M. cable in cipher his recommendation to L. in
this matter. L. would have nothing to do with B. here. Awkward
situation may be created.
L. instanced
also the Rabinoff recommendation.
Two
envelopes, Mr. Kenneth Durant, 228 South Nineteenth Street,
Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A.
SOURCE: U.S.
State Department Decimal File, 316-119-458/64.
NOTE:
IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS
|
William (Bill) L.
BOBROFF |
Soviet courier and
agent. Operated Bobroff Foreign Trading and Engineering
Company of Milwaukee. Invented the voting system used in the
Wisconsin Legilature. |
|
Kenneth
DURANT |
Aide to Colonel House;
see text. |
|
SHOEN |
Employed by
International Oxygen Co., owned by Heller, a prominent
financier and Communist. |
|
EWER |
Soviet agent, reporter
for London Daily Herald. |
|
KLISHKO |
Soviet agent in
Scandinavia |
|
NUORTEVA |
Also known as
Alexander Nyberg, first Soviet representative in United
States; see text. |
|
Sir Basil
THOMPSON |
Chief of British
Intelligence |
|
"L" |
LITVINOFF. |
|
"H" |
Wilfred Humphries,
associated with Martens and Litvinoff, member of Red Cross
in Russia. |
|
KRASSIN |
Bolshevik commissar of trade and labor, former head of
Siemens-Schukert in Russia. |
COMMENTS
This letter
suggests close ties between Bobroff and Durant.
DOCUMENT NO. 9
DESCRIPTION
Memorandum
referring to a request from Davison (Morgan partner) to Thomas
Thacher (Wall Street attorney associated with the Morgans) and
passed to Dwight Morrow (Morgan partner), April 13, 1918.
DOCUMENT
The Berkeley
Hotel, London
April 13th, 1918.
Hon. Walter H.
Page,
American Ambassador to England,
London.
Dear Sir:
Several
days ago I received a request from Mr. H. P. Davison, Chairman of
the War Council of the American Red Cross, to confer with Lord
Northcliffe regarding the situation in Russia, and then to proceed
to Paris for other conferences. Owing to Lord Northcliffe's illness
I have not been able to confer with him, but am leaving with Mr.
Dwight W. Morrow, who is now staying at the Berkeley Hotel, a
memorandum of the situation which Mr. Morrow will submit to Lord
Northcliffe on the latter's return to London.
For your
information and the information of the Department I enclose to you,
herewith, a copy of the memorandum.
Respectfully yours,
[sgd.] Thomas D. Thacher.
COMMENT
Lord
Northcliffe had just been appointed director of propaganda. This is
interesting in the light of William B. Thompson's subsidizing of
Bolshevik propaganda and his connection with the Morgan-Rockefeller
interests.
DOCUMENT
NO. 10
DESCRIPTION
This
document is a memorandum from D.C. Poole, Division of Russian
Affairs in the Department of State, to the secretary of state
concerning a conversation with Mr. M. Oudin of General Electric.
DOCUMENT
May 29, 1922
Mr. Secretary:
Mr. Oudin,
of the General Electric Company, informed me this morning that his
company feels that the time is possibly approaching to begin
conversations with Krassin relative to a resumption of business in
Russia. I told him that it is the view of the Department that the
course to be pursued in this matter by American firms is a question
of business judgment and that the Department would certainly
interpose no obstacles to an American firm resuming operations in
Russia on any basis which the firm considered practicable.
He said
that negotiations are now in progress between the General Electric
Company and the Allgemeine Elektrizitats Gesellschaft for a
resumption of the working agreement which they had before the war.
He expects that the agreement to be made will include a provision
for cooperation of Russia.
Respectfully,
DCP D.C. Poole
COMMENT
This is an
important document as it relates to the forthcoming resumption of
relations with Russia by an important American company. It
illustrates that the initiative came from the company, not from the
State Department, and that no consideration was given to the effect
of transfer of General Electric technology to a self-declared enemy.
This GE agreement was the first step down a road of major technical
transfers that led directly to the deaths of 100,000 Americans and
countless allies.