File No. 861.51/403
Memorandum by the Third Assistant Secretary of State (Long)
The Russian Ambassador called to-day and said that there were Rs. 3,900,000,000 with the American Bank Note Co. in Provisional [Page 75] Government currency, 24,000,000 pieces of 100-ruble denomination and 60,000,000 pieces of 25-ruble denomination.
He requested that permission be had to send them to Vladivostok and to be held there in escrow by an American official with the idea that they be not used at present or issued as currency but be held in case it should be determined later that it would be the best thing to issue them, and so that, if it developed that it was advisable to issue them, sixty or ninety days’ time could be saved by having them on the spot instead of having to transport them there from New York.
I told him that I would take up the matter and let him know.