File No. 861.00/3316½
The Chargé in Russia (Poole) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 30, 4.03 a.m.]
611. To hold the light steady until they find themselves—that is now task of nations which like ourselves are so fortunate as to have acquired capacity for peaceful orderly adjustment their political institution to progress of age.
To hold light steady until they find themselves—it’s no easy matter even most general point view. For individual it’s even more difficult to perceive always just how effort being applied to accomplishment general purpose. This feeling uncertainty comes especially to us in northern Russia who are working on outskirts of the big job on edge of befogged situation not always clear even to those having all facts before them.
[Page 573]Let me tell you who have just come from central Russia that down there as sly and dangerous set of demagogues as ever known are pillaging a poor and benighted people. ’Twas not Bolsheviki who made Russian revolution, ’twas not they who overthrew Tsar, giving to Russia first hope she might enjoy that liberty, peace, comfort which we Americans have almost come to take for granted. Men that did that now languishing in Bolshevik prisons, fled abroad or died at hands mercenary alien firing squad. These men struggling with monumental task establishing free government for people just emerged from centuries black ignorance oppression were forcibly dispersed by gang of political adventurers admittedly sustained by German money, German intrigue, seeking German military ends in Russia’s confusion, Russia’s dismemberment, abasement. These political adventurers aim not at what we conceive democracy where every man entitled to life, liberty, etc., but at what they call “dictatorship of proletariat” which is in fact but inversion of old autocracy which we in common with other democratic peoples of world gloried to see overthrown.
You men want know what you are doing here. You are protecting one spot in Russia from sanguinary bedlam of Bolshevism, you are keeping safe one spot where real progressives of Russian revolution may begin to lay foundation of great free Russian state which is to come. Don’t think you are forgotten. Washington knows what you are doing, what you are up against. You may be sure that President has thought of you and in good time will tell you and rest of us what he expects each to do in order hold steady light of our forward-working democracy.