File No. 861.51/295

The Ambassador in Russia (Francis) to the Secretary of State

No. 1027

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith enclosed a translation of a decree regarding the annulment of state loans adopted by the [All-]Russian Central Executive Committee at its session on January 21/February 3, 1918, and published in the bulletin of the Soviets of January 26/February 8, 1918.

I have [etc.]

David R. Francis
[Enclosure—Translation]1

Decree regarding Annulment of State Loans, Adopted by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee at its Session on January 21/February 3, 1918

1.
All state loans concluded by the governments of the Russian landowners and Russian bourgeoisie, enumerated in a special list which is being published, are annulled (canceled) as from December 1, 1917. The December coupons are not subject to payment.
2.
In the same way all guaranties are being annulled, given by the above-mentioned governments on the loans of various concerns and institutions.
3.
Absolutely and without any exception all foreign loans are annulled.
4.
Short-time obligations and series of the state Chancellery remain in force. Interest on them will not be paid, but the obligations themselves will have the same validity as credit notes.
5.
Citizens with limited means, possessing the state securities of the interior loan, which are annulled, in sums not exceeding Rs. 10,000 (at the nominal value), will receive in their stead denominated certificates of a new loan of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, for a sum not exceeding Rs. 10,000. The terms of the loan will be determined specially.
6.
The deposits in the state savings banks and interests thereon are inviolable. All the obligations of the loans to be annulled belonging to the savings banks are being replaced by a book debt of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic.
7.
The Cooperatives, local self-governments, and other universally beneficial or democratic institutions possessing obligations of the loans to be annulled, will be satisfied on the basis of the rules which are being worked out by the Supreme Soviet of National Economy together with the representatives of [Page 33] these institutions, if it can be proved that these obligations were purchased prior to the publication of the present decree.

Remark: The local organs of the Supreme Soviet of National Economy have the right to determine which institutions come under the head of universally beneficial or democratic.

8.
The general management of the liquidation of the state loans is entrusted to the Supreme Soviet of National Economy.
9.
The whole matter of liquidating the loans is entrusted to the State Bank, whose duty it is to immediately commence the registration of all the obligations of the state loans in the hands of the various proprietors, as well as of the other interest-bearing papers, both of those subject and not subject to annulment.
10.
The Soviets of the Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies form, in conjunction with the local Soviets of National Economy, commissions for determining which of the citizens come under the head of having limited means.

These commissions have the right to annul in their entirety savings obtained not by means of labor, even if these savings do not exceed the sum of Rs. 5,000.

President of the Central Executive Committee
I. Sverdlov
  1. The translation has been left substantially in the form in which it was received. A few verbal corrections have been made upon comparison with the Russian text published in Collection of Decrees and Orders of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Government, Moscow, 1919.