860f.24/9a
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: I hesitate to trouble you again with the subject of supplies for the Czecho-Slovaks, but I fear there is no other course. The Red Cross is sending underwear, socks, sweaters, shirts, cloth for suiting and gloves, together with some shoes and sole leather furnished by the Russian Embassy. Further than that there seems to be no effort to send supplies of any kind and no effort being made to send supplies of a military character. Unless supplies leave the United States within the next three weeks it will be impossible to reach the Czechs, because the winter sets in very early and most rigorously in that climate.
May I be so bold as to suggest that you designate some one person and clothe him with sufficient authority to get the information which seems to be necessary before any shipment can be commenced and to report to you? This seems to me to be the only solution of a situation which is at present chaotic, in which no one seems to have authority and in which there is no directed energy.
From a casual investigation, I am satisfied that there are supplies of a military character in this country which can not possibly be used by our armed forces and which can be most suitably used by the Czechs. This applies to rifles, ammunition, machine guns and various other necessary equipment of a military character.
Of course the work which the Red Cross is doing I feel should not be confused with or sub-ordinated to the direction of any person whom you may designate, and I think that it should be continued in the same independent manner, but I do feel that any other relief which it is contemplated should be sent to the Czechs should be supervised and directed by one person with sufficient authority to co-ordinate all the efforts which will be necessary to get any relief to them.
I am [etc.]