File No. 861.51/287

The Secretary of State to the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury ( Leffingwell )

My Dear Mr. Leffingwell : The Department has received your letter of February 21, with enclosures, asking whether the Russian Purchasing Commission in this country should be furnished with the facilities of the Allies Purchasing Commission.1

This Department believes that at the present time it would be extremely unfortunate for the Russian people to receive the impression that they are being abandoned by the Allies or by the United States. Consequently, the Department has been assisting the Russian authorities in this country in forwarding nonwarlike stores, including railway material, agricultural machinery, binder twine, army and civilian shoes and leather, together with miscellaneous Red Cross supplies. We have been of the opinion that the limited tonnage available to Russia makes it impracticable to deliver supplies in large enough quantity—even in the case of railway material—to become by any possibility a military factor.

The Department accordingly believes that the Russian Commission might still have the advantage of the facilities afforded by the Allies Purchasing Commission. In view of the present German advance, however, the Department would be glad to have brought to its attention all shipments which may be made, as it has obviously become necessary to take additional precautionary measures to safeguard the supplies from falling into German hands. This is especially true in regard to shipments destined for Petrograd or Moscow.

I am [etc.]

Robert Lansing
  1. Not printed.