Office of the Historian

File No. 763.72119/693a

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)1

[Telegram]
Washington, July 20, 1917, 3 p.m.

5173. Morris Hillquit of the Socialist Party in the United States has applied for a passport to attend Socialist conference called by the Council of Workmen’s and Soldiers’ Deputies of Russia and has shown to the Department a telegram addressed to him by Tscheidse, President of the Council, inviting participation by American delegates.

Please ascertain immediately from the British Government its attitude toward the conference; whether it will approve the attendance of British delegates thereto; whether it is believed that the conference will be held under the auspices of the Provisional Government [Page 747] of Russia and is therefore to be considered as official; and whether it is thought that German intrigue is involved.

Please reply by telegraph as soon as possible.

Polk
  1. The same, mutatis mutandis, on the same date, to the Ambassador in France (No. 2471).↩