Prof. B. A. Bakhmeteff, Assistant Minister of Commerce and Industry, shall be placed at the head of the Extraordinary Embassy which will include special delegates of the Ministries of War, Commerce, Finance and Foreign Affairs. Mr. J. Korostovets, ex-Minister in Peking, is designated as delegate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The special mission, composed thus of competent delegates of different departments, will be empowered to confer and to negotiate with the Government of the United States on military, naval, financial and railway matters, pertaining to the present world war. The detailed list of the members of the Extraordinary Embassy, the time of the departure from Petrograd and the route which will be chosen shall be communicated later. File No. 763.72/5078d The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Wheeler) [Telegram] WASHINGTON, May 28, 1917, 6 p. m. Russian commission to United States reported intending to sail Yokohama for Seattle June 1. Please advise of departure, personnel of commission and port of destination. LANSING File No. 763.72/4531 The Secretary of State to the Russian Chargé (Onou) No. 213 WASHINGTON, May 31, 1917. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 9th instant transmitting a memorandum relative to the Extraordinary Embassy which the Russian Provisional Government proposes to send to the United States. It is noted from the memorandum that the object of the Special Mission is to express the gratitude of the Provisional Russian Government for the initiative taken by the United States in the official recognition of the democratic régime which has been established in Russia; that the members of the Extraordinary Embassy consist of Prof. B. A. Bakhmeteff, head of the mission, and special delegates of the Ministries of War, Commerce, Finance, and Foreign Affairs; and that Mr. J. Korostovets, formerly Russian Minister at Peking, is designated as delegate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is further noted that the Embassy will be empowered to negotiate with the Government of the United States on military, naval, financial and railway matters pertaining to the present world war. I have the honor to assure you in reply that the Extraordinary Embassy of Russia will be received with welcome by the President, Government and people of the United States and that after it shall have been received by the President this Government will be happy to negotiate with it on the subjects mentioned in your memorandum. Accept [etc.] ROBERT LANSING File No. 763.72/5059 The Chargé in Japan (Wheeler) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] TOKYO, June 1, 1917, 6 p. m. Your telegram of May 28, 6 p. m. Russian Extraordinary Mission to the United States, dispatched pursuant to decree of April 25 [/May 8?] of the Provisional Russian Government, consisting of 47 persons, including 10 ladies, 6 of whom are members, sail by Empress of Japan June 2 arriving Vancouver 13th. Mission is headed by Bakhmeteff, accredited Ambassador to United States, who is accompanied by his wife and whose personal staff consists of Sookine, representative of the Foreign Office and secretary of the mission, Messrs. Omelchenko and Karpovich and Baron Gunsburg, secretaries, and Dubasov, aide-de-camp. Principal members are Lieutenant General Roop, representative of Russian General Staff, Captain Leadingoff, his aide-de-camp, Colonel Oranovski, representative of Ministry of War for Munitions and Supplies; Professor Lomonosov of the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute, representative of Ministry of Ways of Communication, and Kupryanov, his assistant; Professor Borodin, representative of Ministry of Agriculture; Novitski, representative of Ministry of Finance, and his assistants, Pertsov and Puskarev; Sergievski, representative of Russian press. Bakhmeteff is charged with negotiations for war loan; Lomonosov's [group] are railway experts and engineers and will negotiate for accessories and rolling stock; Borodin's group will purchase agricultural machinery. Lincoln Steffens, American correspondent, accompanies party. Full personnel has been transmitted to Russian Embassy, Washington. Whole number traveling first class, no servants. Mission prefers to take Canadian Pacific route to Chicago via Portland and asks that Russian Embassy be communicated with and if any arrangements have been made for them as to routing, purchase of tickets, berths, etc., they be instructed by wire at Vancouver. They bring large quantity of governmental printed matter and moving pictures for Red Cross for which they request customs facilities at frontier. Members of commission inform me that in Petrograd and on the line anxiety exists as to attitude of Stevens commission, reports that it was to "run" Trans-Siberian Railway having caused resentment against [foreign] intrusion. Bakhmeteff shared this anxiety. I assured him commission came representing the President and the people of the United States with idea only of placing its railway knowledge and experience in transportation problems at the dis posal of Russian people to use or reject as their judgment may dictate. He expressed satisfaction and sent telegrams to subvert any unfavorable impression for local publicity along the route in advance. WHEELER File No. 763.72/5334 The Secretary of Embassy (Caffery), temporarily in the United States, to the Secretary of State [Telegram] OTHELLO, WASH., June 15, 1917. Mission arrived this morning Seattle and now en route Chicago. Ambassador Bakhmeteff expresses to me his pleasure in being on American soil and states that he looks forward with much pleasure to his stay in this country. The Ambassador advises that his Government attaches the very greatest importance to the work and cooperation of the two special missions now in Russia and United States respectively. He says that the Russian Government considers that the aims and ideas of the two countries in this war are identical; that the relations should be of the closest kind and that the cooperation of Russia and America will have great influence on the future politics of the world. The Ambassador says that he wishes to emphasize that his Government regards the work to be accomplished by his mission to be of the utmost importance. Mr. Bakhmeteff feels that he understands America and American institutions and people and that this knowledge will aid him materially in conducting negotiations here; that Russia is looking to United States aid along different lines, notably financial, railroads, agriculture, munitions and supplies, that the heads of the technical bureaus under him will take up these questions; that the Provisional Government feels that it can look more to the United States than to any other country for the proper assistance in developing a new democracy; that he does not underestimate the difficulties of the situation but believes that with sympathy and understanding much progress can be accomplished. The Provisional Government appointed Mr. Bakhmeteff head of the Extraordinary Mission as the political representative of all factions of the Provisional Government and at the same time desired to have him received as Ambassador Resident at Washington until such time as a permanent Ambassador may be appointed. With this end in view he bears with him letters of credence in addition to special powers to treat of special subjects. General Roop, representative of the Russian General Staff and Army, is a Lieutenant General in rank. He ranks next to the Ambassador. Professor Lomonosov, chief of the railway mission, has power in the United States of Minister of Communications; Professor Borodin, who was a professor in the Agricultural College at Petrograd, is interested in studying agricultural problems; Colonel Oranovski of the artillery is vice president of the munitions committee in New York and is interested in munitions and supplies; Mr. Novitski, chief of the Credit Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, will take up financial matters; Mr. Sookine of the Foreign Office is diplomatic secretary of the mission. The ladies of the party will leave the train at Harrisburg and go direct to New York, are not coming to Washington. The following members of the mission will remain in Washington: the delegates from the Foreign Office; the delegates from the War Office; the delegates from the Ministry of Finance; the representatives of the press and special attaché. The following will go to Washington for the official reception, remain a few days and then go to New York where they will be located: Professor Lomonosov, Borodin, Colonel Oranovski. The other members of the party will travel direct to New York with the ladies of the party. Recommendations for house in Washington following: Ambassador, General Roop, Lomonosov, Borodin, Oranovski, Novitski, Sookine, Karpovich, private secretary to Ambassador, Dubasov, aides-de-camp, Captains Shutt, Martinov. Rank of chief members of party after Ambassador: General Roop, Lomonosov, Borodin, Oranovski, Novitski, Sookine, Dubasov, Shutt. The mission desires that General Khrabrov, president of the Committee of Munitions and Supplies in New York, join the mission in Washington. Following changes original list: Nos. 5, 19 and 32 did not arrive. No. 18 should read Sergievski. No. 28 should read Mrs. Oranovski with son. Following additions to list: Mrs. Lipits, wife of a Russian officer now in this country; also two sailors and one valet. The Ambassador requests especially that his thanks be conveyed for the manner of his reception in this country.1 CAFFERY 1 The mission reached Washington on June 19 and on July 5 was converted into an ordinary Embassy through the presentation by Mr. Bakhmeteff of letters of credence as permanent Ambassador. Papers relating to the ceremonial aspects of the reception of the mission are not printed. CHAPTER IV THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT: PREMIERSHIP OF KERENSKY The Ministerial Crisis of July 1917-Resignation of the Cadet 1 MinistersThe Bolshevik Demonstration-Breakdown of the Offensive-Formation of the Kerensky Ministry-The National Conference at Moscow-The Fall of Riga File No. 861.00/421 The Ambassador in Russia (Francis) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] PETROGRAD, July 16, 1917, 8 p. m. 1519. Reported that four Cadet Ministers resigned, Minister of Finance, Minister of Ways of Communication, Minister of Education and the Minister of Public Welfare. Asked audience with the Minister for Foreign Affairs but office replied he was sick at home thereupon telephoned residence and the reply was Minister too ill to see me but would to-morrow morning. Cause attributed is that Minister of War, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Posts and Telegraphs who returned yesterday from Ukraine had granted that province concessions with which Cadet Party unable to agree. Understood Minister of Ways of Communication after resigning from the Ministry will leave Cadet Party and be reappointed to Ministry. Council of Ministers will meet this evening to consider situation. Real difficulty appears to be that Cadet Ministers wish relief from responsibility of situation which becoming critical on account of food scarcity and workmen's refusal to work. Later. Afternoon papers report Ministry had all-night session which Kerensky came from front to attend, returning to front 8 this morning after saying, "Cadet Ministers stabbed Russia in the back while fighting enemy at our gates." Cadets dominated by Milyukov. File No. 861.00/427 FRANCIS The Ambassador in Russia (Francis) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] PETROGRAD, July 17, 1917, 5 p. m. 1521. Last evening began demonstration by workmen and soldiers under inspiration of Bolsheviks against Provisional Government Constitutional Democratic Party (Konstitutsionno Demokraticheskaya Partiya). |