File No. 763.72/4377a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Russia ( Francis)
1366. From various sources there have come to the Department certain reports as to the views held by the Russian Government and people concerning the British and French commissions now in this country. These reports have been confirmed by a conversation which I had on Saturday, April 28, with Mr. Onou, the Russian Chargé.
It appears that the Russian Government has the impression that the British and French representatives came to this country, presumably at the invitation or suggestion of this Government, to hold a joint conference as to the conduct of the war and as to the objects to be attained. It is natural that having this impression the Russian Government should feel that it had been ignored in not being invited to participate in so important a conference which would deal with subjects of vital interest to Russia.
The impression is, however, founded entirely upon error. Independently and each acting without the knowledge of the other the British and French Governments asked this Government if it would be acceptable to it if they sent missions to this country to express to [Page 51] the President and the American people their gratification at the entry of the United States into the war and to give to our authorities information which would prevent them from making the mistakes which were made by the Allied Governments at the beginning of the conflict. To these inquiries this Government of course answered in the affirmative. It then advised each Government of the intention of the other, which I am informed was the first intimation of the fact either had received.
The two missions came to this capital independently and all intercourse between this Government and the two groups of commissioners has been several and never joint. There is no purpose to consider matters jointly.
It is understood that the Italian Government contemplates sending a commission of a similar nature, which will also be treated independently. If the Russian Government had intimated a desire to send a commission to this country it would have been welcomed in the same cordial spirit as have those which have arrived.
I would further point out that we are sending to Russia and to no other country at the present time a commission of prominent men because of the intense sympathy of the American Government and people for the great nation which has become a democracy. The commission will be headed by Honorable Elihu Root, a most distinguished statesman, who is devoted to the cause of political liberty and to the sovereign rights of the people. It is the primary purpose of this commission to convey to the Russian Government the friendship and good will of this nation and to express the confident hope that the Russian people, having developed a political system founded on the principle of democracy, will join with the free people of America in resisting with firmness and fortitude the ambitious designs of the German Government which by force, intrigue, and deception they are striving to attain. The commission will further be charged with the duty of finding the most efficient means of cooperating with the Russian Government in the prosecution of the war with the united purpose of accomplishing the overthrow of military autocracy, which menaces human liberty and all democratic institutions.
You may, as soon as opportunity offers, state the foregoing to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and assure him that I have learned of the erroneous impression held by the Russian Government with deep concern, and am most desirous that it should be removed not only because of the ancient friendship of our two countries but because of the frankness and confidence with which one democracy can always communicate with another.