File No. 861.51/271
The Ambassador in Russia (Francis) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 14, 10.40 p.m.]
2360. At meeting of Diplomatic Corps to-day it was determined to send, to Commissary of People for Foreign Affairs a collective declaration, translation of which follows:
In order to avoid any misunderstanding in the future the representatives at Petrograd of all foreign powers declare that they consider the decrees regarding the repudiation of Russian state loans, the confiscating of property of all kinds and other analogous measures as without value as far as their nationals are concerned; and the said representatives reserve the right to claim from the Russian Government at an opportune time damages for all loss which these decrees may cause their nationals.
The document is dated to-day and signed by the diplomatic representatives of America, Japan, France, Spain, Italy, England, Sweden, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Persia, Denmark, Siam, China, Serbia, Portugal, Brazil, Argentine, and Greece.1
- In a despatch of Feb. 13, not printed, the Ambassador enclosed copy of the French text of this declaration, in which Norway appears among the signatories (File No. 861.51/305).↩