File No. 861.00/1013
The Ambassador in Russia ( Francis) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 29, 7.25 a.m.]
2294. All-Russian Soviet Congress [addressed by] Lenin last night at length; assumed control of Russia supplanting Constituent Assembly and admitting 71 bolting radical members thereof to membership; adopted enthusiastically declaration of Bolshevik principles rejected by Constituent Assembly. Think it repudiates all foreign loans; has 786 registered delegates.
Lenin reported favoring separate peace and yielding on territory question but did not mention subject in his speech, Trotsky opposing; latter left suddenly for Brest supposedly on German concessions as he said on returning here considered negotiations virtually terminated.
Congress unlikely to act on peace before hearing from Trotsky. If armistice terminated Germans could capture Revel within week also Petrograd if desired.