File No. 861.00/287
The Russian Ambassador (
Bakméteff) to
the Secretary of State
Washington,
March 18, 1917.
[Received March 19.]
Mr. Secretary of State: I have the honor to
transmit herewith a copy of a communication which I have just received
from the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Petrograd.
I take this occasion to renew [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs
(
Milyukov) to
the Ambassador at Washington (
Bakhméteff)
The news sent forth by the telegraphic agency of Petrograd has
already apprised you of the late events and fall of the former
political régime in Russia which lamentably collapsed before the
popular indignation aroused by its shiftlessness, abuses and
criminal improvidence. The unanimity of resentment created among all
the sound elements of the nation by the order of things now removed
perceptibly lightened and shortened the crisis. All these elements
having with admirable enthusiasm rallied under the flag of the
revolution and the army having given it speedy and effective
support, the national
[Page 5]
movement
in not more than eight days has gained a decisive victory. This
quick achievement happily made it possible to reduce the number of
victims to proportions unknown to the annals of so far-reaching and
momentous upheavals. By an act dated in Pskov March 2/15, 1917,
Emperor Nicholas II renounced
the throne for himself and the heir, Grand Duke Alexis
Nicholaevich, in favor of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich.
Upon being notified of that act, Grand
Duke Michael Alexandrovich by an act dated in
Petrograd March 3/16, 1917, in turn declined to assume the supreme
power until a constituent assembly created on the basis of universal
suffrage shall have established the form of government and the new
fundamental law of Russia. By the same act the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
bade the Russian citizens, pending the final manifestation of the
will of the Nation, to bow to the authority of the Provisional
Government constituted on the initiative of the Duma of the state
and wielding full power. The composition of the Provisional
Government and its political program have been published and
forwarded to foreign lands. That Government which assumes power
during the gravest foreign and domestic crisis experienced by Russia
in her history is fully conscious of the immense responsibility that
rests upon it. It will give its very first attention to remedying
the grievous shortcomings it inherited from the past, to insuring
order and tranquillity in the country, to preparing in fine the
requisite conditions for a free expression of the sovereign will of
the Nation as to its future fate. In the field of foreign policies,
the Cabinet in which I have taken the portfolio of Minister for
Foreign Affairs will continue to respect the international
undertakings made by the fallen régime and will redeem Russia’s
word. We shall carefully cultivate the relations which bind us to
the other friendly and Allied nations and we are confident that
these relations will grow more intimate and stronger under the new
regimé established in Russia, which has determined to be guided by
the democratic principles of respect due to peoples, whether small
or great, the freedom of their development and the good
understanding among nations.
Milyukov
Petrograd
, March 5/18,
1917.
