File No. 861.00/1049
The Ambassador in France (Sharp) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 4, 3 a.m.]
3138. My 3092, January 24,2 and 3100, January 26.3 On account of the importance of the intelligence conveyed in these two telegrams, coming to the Foreign Office from Jassy by wireless, I have thought that an account of a conversation which I have had with my Russian colleague, Mr. Maklakov, apropos thereto might be interesting to the Department. …
As to the [intervention] threatened by armed forces of the Allied powers and particularly Japan, he believed such a course would have a disastrous effect not only on his own country but upon the cause of the Allies. He said that he had a personal acquaintance with Mr. Potanin, president of the newly constituted government of Siberia at its capital of Omsk [Tomsk], that he knew by personal knowledge that Siberia was to-day decidedly anti-Maximalist. He believed further that the participation of Japan in any movement to restore order or to interfere in Russian affairs would arouse a unitedly hostile sentiment against the Allied powers as such an act would be looked upon with grave suspicion. …