File No. 763.72119/954
The Ambassador in Russia ( Francis ) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 24, 9.10 a.m.]
2006. Following is literal translation of document received at American Embassy 11 p.m., 21st instant:
The Commissary of the People for Foreign
Affairs,
Petrograd, November 7,
old style, 1917.
Mr. Ambassador of the United States: By the present I have the honor to inform you, Mr. Ambassador, that the National Congress of the Councils of the Deputies of the Workmen and Soldiers established on the 26th of the month of October of this year (old style) a new government of the Russian Republic under the form of the Council of the Commissaries of the People. The president of this Government is Mr. Vladimir Ilich Lenin and the management of the foreign policy was entrusted to me as Commissary of the People for Foreign Affairs.
In drawing your attention to the text of the proposition for an armistice and a democratic peace without annexations or contributions founded on the right of people to dispose of themselves, proposals approved by the Congress of the Councils of Workmen and Soldiers, I have the honor to beg you, Mr. Ambassador, to be good enough to regard the above-mentioned document as a formal proposal for an armistice without delay on all the fronts and for the opening without delay of negotiations for peace—a proposal which the plenipotentiary government of the Russian Republic is addressing simultaneously to all belligerent nations and to their governments.
I beg you, Mr. Ambassador, to be good enough to accept the assurance of the perfect consideration and very profound respect of the government of the councils for the people of the United States who also like all the other peoples exhausted by this incomparable butchery cannot help but ardently desire peace.
The Commissary of the People for Foreign
Affairs
Leon Trotsky
[Managing Secretary of the Council
of Commissaries of the People]
Bonch-Bruevich
| [Witnessed by] | Secretary, N. Gorbunov |
As a receipt for the communication mentioned above was requested the dragoman of the Embassy signed a receipt for an envelope as addressed to the American Ambassador. I presume that same as above has been addressed to my colleagues and will immediately confirm. A meeting of representatives of Allied powers called by British Ambassador for 3 p.m. to-day.