Office of the Historian

File No. 861.48/208

The Ambassador in Russia (Francis) to the Secretary of State

No. 263
Petrograd, August 30, 1916 .
[Received September 20.]

Sir: I have the honor to enclose sealed communication from His Imperial Highness, Emperor Nicholas II, to His Excellency Woodrow Wilson, [Page 912] President of the United States, in reply to a letter from the President delivered by myself personally to B. V. Sturmer, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on August 11, 1916. When this letter was delivered I stated to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that I would be pleased to convey it in person to His Imperial Majesty, but the Minister replied that the Emperor was at the front and inaccessible, but that he, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, would deliver it himself. The Minister also informed me that the Emperor had been informally advised of the contents of the letter when they were cabled to the Embassy and transmitted in formal communication to the Foreign Office.

In my cable No. 727, sent August 27,1 I transmitted to the Department a translation from Russian of the note conveying the Emperor’s sealed reply, also copy in French of that reply, in accordance with request of the Foreign Office. Enclosed herewith are copies of those communications.2 I am also enclosing memorandum of interview between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and myself on this subject held August 11, 1916.1 That memorandum also treats of other subjects discussed in the interview had with the Foreign Minister.

I have [etc.]

David R. Francis
[Enclosure—Translation]

Emperor Nicholas II to President Wilson

Mr. President, Great and Good Friend: I have received your letter in which you propose, in the name of the people of the United States, to submit to a new examination the possibility of rendering relief to the population of Poland who are in distress.

I am profoundly grateful for the humanitarian sentiments of the American citizens and for the disinterested intervention of the Government of the United States toward alleviating the sufferings of the victims of war.

Pursuant to my instructions, my Government, in accordance with the governments of my allies, has, at many instances, given its consent to propositions which have been made to this effect.

I regret that the responsible authorities of the enemy countries have consistently opposed the manifestly legitimate conditions which have been submitted by the Allies and even actually refused to accept all relief proposed for Poland.

Leaving the development of this matter to the judgment of the Government of the United States, I desire to assure you, Mr. President, that my Government will be happy to consider any new proposition which will be made by the Washington Cabinet.

Written at the Imperial Headquarters August 7, 1916.

Your Good Friend,

Nikolai
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Letter of transmission not printed.↩
  3. Not printed.↩