File No. 861.00/574a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Russia ( Francis)
1767. You may transmit without comment the following message from the president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States to the Provisional Government. Copy of resolutions mentioned will be forwarded by pouch.
Please convey to the people of free Russia the sentiments of profound emotion and admiration with which the half million business men of America represented by the nine hundred commercial organizations composing the Chamber of Commerce of the United States have welcomed the rise of a new and democratic Russia. The Chamber of Commerce of the United States is itself a democratic institution whose fundamental policies are controlled absolutely by referendum votes of all its members. Only recently by such a referendum vote this organization, by an overwhelming majority, declared the principle that war profits of all kinds should be limited by the Government. This declaration means that American business men and manufacturers are opposed to the making of vast fortunes in war supplies at the expense of the people. This democratic and self-governing organization regards the Russian revolution as an epoch-making event in the world’s history and also as the most heartening development of this terrible world conflict. It is now holding a war convention at Atlantic City attended by delegates representing commercial organizations in every state of the United States [Page 206] of America. The purpose of this convention is by common counsel in conference with officials of our Government to determine in what directions business and industry may exert still greater effort to assist in destroying autocratic military power and to win the war. The delegates at this convention beg you, Mr. Ambassador, personally, to assure the Provisional Government and all the people of Russia not only of the whole-hearted support of the hundreds of thousands of American business men whom they represent but also of their confidence in the purpose of Russia to secure permanent victory over the autocratic militarism of Germany and thus assure the triumph of the principles of the revolution in extending democratic ideals throughout the world.
I am forwarding by mail a series of resolutions passed at this war convention which embody the deepest sentiments of respect and disinterested emotions of sympathy which the upward struggle of the free Russian people has aroused among the business men of America whose opinion is voiced by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Rhett, President, Chamber of Commerce of the United States.