File No. 763.72119/1003

The Ambassador in Russia ( Francis) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

2072. Following just received:

Commissary of the People for Foreign Affairs,
December 6, 1911.

For the information of the Ambassador of the United States of America:

The negotiations that have opened between the delegates of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria on the one hand and the delegates of Russia on the other have been interrupted on the initiative of our delegation for one week in order to make it possible during this period to inform the nations and the Governments of the Allied countries of the fact itself, of the negotiations and of their trend.

On the part of Russia it is proposed: (1) to announce that the armistice proposed has for its object a peace on democratic principles as they have been formulated in the manifesto of the All-Russian Congress of the Councils of Workmen’s and Soldiers’ Deputies; (2) the armistice is to be made conditional on the obligation that troops be not thrown from one front to another; and (3) to evacuate the islands of Moon Sound.

Regarding the question of the aims of war the delegates of the opposite side decline to make a definite answer, pointing out that they had been commissioned exclusively to regard the military side of the armistice. In the same way regarding also the question of a universal armistice the delegates of the opposition side pointed out the absence of authority on their part for raising the question of an armistice with countries whose delegates are not participating in the negotiations.

On their part the delegates of the opposite side proposed the conditions of an armistice on the front from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and it was proposed that the period of this armistice be of twenty-eight days. At the same time the delegates of the opposite side undertook to transmit to their government the proposition of the Russian delegation for immediate addressing to all the belligerent countries, that is to say, to all the Allied countries besides Russia, a proposition to participate in the negotiations.

In view of the unwillingness of our delegation to sign a formal armistice at the present stage of the negotiations it was again decided to stop military operations for a week and the negotiations regarding an armistice were stopped for the same period.

In this way between the first decree of the government of the Soviets regarding peace (November 8) and the time of the forthcoming resumption of peace negotiations (December 12) there lies an interval of over one month. This period appears, even considering the present disturbed means of international communication, entirely sufficient to enable the Governments of the Allied countries to define their attitude to the peace negotiations, that is to say, there readiness or their refusal to take part in the negotiations regarding the armistice and peace and, in case they refuse, to openly, before the face of the whole of humanity, declare clearly, precisely and definitely in the name of what aims must the nations of Europe shed their blood during the fourth year of war.

Commissary of the People for Foreign Affairs
L. Trotsky

Francis