File No. 861.01/11
The Ambassador in France ( Sharp) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 24, 10.50 a.m.]
2939. Department’s 2944, December 11.1 The Foreign Office informs me to-day concerning the policy of the French Government towards Russia that the matter had been thoroughly gone into with Colonel House before his departure for America. Very little had occurred since then to modify its attitude. The French Government will ignore the Russian Government as now constituted and the only official acts now being performed by the French Government in Russia are through its consuls, who continue to act in minor questions such as issuing of passports, etc. I was told that it was the aim of the French Government to avoid open hostility with those in authority in Petrograd though undoubtedly Lenin and those surrounding him must know by this time of the support being given by the Allied powers to the opposing forces of Kaledin. Mr. de Margerie said that the best information coming to the Foreign Office in regard to Lenin was that he was not influenced by corrupt motives though he was an extremist in his views in every way. He expressed the opinion that the professed purposes of the Leninists favoring local autonomy would weaken their efforts in their campaign against the Ukrainian provinces.