Office of the Historian

File No. 761.00/12

The Minister in Sweden ( Morris) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]
Stockholm, December 4, 1917, 5 p.m.
[Received December 5, 4.53 a.m.]

1110. Your 427.2 Sands3 has copies of Petrograd Embassy’s translations of published confidential correspondence originals of which have been delayed in transit. Too voluminous for telegraphic transmission but will telegraph correspondence if desired. They cover in general following points: [Page 447]

(1)
Distribution among Allies of material assistance to Russia for the prolongation of war.
(2)
Reasons for formation coalition ministry in Russia.
(3)
Memorandum concerning Constantinople and Dardanelles March 5, 1915.
(4)
Same with agreement British spheres of influence March 7, 1915.
(5)
Joint action of three Allied Ambassadors urging strong government for Russia and Russia’s reply October 9, 1917.
(6)
Instructions to Russian Ambassador at Paris on participation in conference February 24, 1916, with reference to western frontiers Germany, Polish frontier, Roumania, China and Japan and Scandinavia.
(7)
Instructions to Russian Ambassadors Paris and London on Alsace-Lorraine.
(8)
Political situation in Russia.
(9)
Kornilov.
(10)
Territorial acquisitions desired by Russia March 4, 1915.
(11)
Swiss conference of financiers to bring about peace at the expense of Russia.
(12)
Asia Minor.
(13)
Charge of insincerity against Ribot in regard to February declaration in French Chamber concerning agreement with Russia regarding eastern frontiers of France.
(14)
Memorandum on Greek question.

The first two installments of the publication by the Bolsheviki cover the subjects cited above. The translation of the subsequent installments had not been finished when Sands left Petrograd and will follow when Embassy sends courier. Sands requests you assist him to leave steamer Bergensfjord at Halifax and proceed to Washington by rail to deliver papers at earliest possible moment.1

Morris
  1. Ante, p. 327.↩
  2. William F. Sands, former Special Assistant in the Embassy at Petrograd.↩

  3. The following despatch was received from the Minister, Jan. 29, 1918 (File No. 761.00/13):

    Stockholm, December 15, 1911.

    No. 947

    Sir: With reference to my telegram No. 1110 of December 4, 1917, in reply to your 427 concerning secret correspondence published by the Bolshevik administration in Russia, in which I informed you that Mr. William F. Sands was bringing copies of the translations of these documents to you, I now find that Mr. Sands inadvertently left these papers here and I have the honor to transmit them to the Department herewith enclosed.

    I have [etc.]

    Ira N. Morris

    See also despatch from the Ambassador in Russia, Dec. 5, 1917 (received Dec. 27), and footnote thereto, post, p. 493.

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