File No. 763.72111/2453

The Russian Ambassador (Bakhméteff) to the Secretary of State

My Dear Mr. Secretary: A Mr. Seferovitch, who is shortly to be appointed Montenegrin Consul General in the United States, has telegraphed [Page 764] to me that he and some other compatriots of his had been arrested in Chicago for assisting Montenegrin reservists to return to their country. As I have no other information upon this incident than this short telegram. I would be very much obliged to you if you would let me know through Loris Melikoff how the matter stands. You know that we are in charge of Montenegrin interests here, but I would not like to apply to you officially before I had learnt the pros and cons of the Chicago case. It seems to me, as far as I can judge by the papers, that Seferovitch has only transgressed your laws or rules by too excessive zeal in his desire to help his compatriots to get back to their country and has not understood that “assistance” to them was perfectly permissible whereas anything that looked like “recruiting” would not do in any neutral country—and if this is the right explanation of the reasons for which he got himself into this trouble, I am sure you will understand them and have the misunderstanding with the local authorities cleared up—and I have no doubt he will be more careful in the future.

Sorry to give you this trouble and with many thanks in advance. I am [etc.]

G. Bakhméteff