763.72119/2752

President Wilson to the Secretary of State

My Dear Lansing : I have read the enclosed, of course, with genuine interest, but is it feasible, in view of the present at least temporary [Page 269] disintegration of Russia into at least five parts, Finland, the Baltic Provinces, European Russia, Siberia, and the Ukraine, to have Russia represented at the peace table, or to admit a part of her by recognizing and receiving delegates from the Omsk government?

Cordially and faithfully yours,

Woodrow Wilson
[Enclosure]

Memorandum

The Interparty League for the Restoration of free Russia has been formed in New York at the beginning of 1918, when it became evident that the Bolsheviki groups in Russia were the tools of the German Government and are leading the country to social and political anarchy and national disintegration. The League is composed of different political groups in America, of Social Democrats, Social Revolutionists, Popular Socialists and Liberals, which means all the political shades of Russia with the exception of the Monarchists and the Bolsheviki. The programme of the League is the establishment of a democratic republic in Russia and the convocation of the Constitutional Assembly on the basis of universal, equal, direct and secret suffrage. The League was active in shaping Russian and American public opinion in this country through different publications, through mass meetings, lectures, conferences in all the greatest cities of America.

The Interparty League considers as its privileges and duty to present to the American Government its wishes and desires in regard to the relations of America and the Allies toward Russia, and the League is fully convinced that it is expressing thereby the will of all those political parties in Russia which are the leading forces in the great work of establishing a free democratic Russia.

It is of great importance for the restoration and liberation of Russia that the American Government should recognize the coalitional Omsk Government which is a settled Government of a part of Russia and the first successful and solid step to the establishment of an orderly free government in all Russia.

It is imperative that Russia shall get a full representation at the Peace Conference, as a free and independent country. America and all the Allies can never forget or ignore the fact that the Russian people and the Russian armies had sacrificed immeasurably in blood and wealth during the first years of the war for the freedom of the world and safety of civilization.

The repatriation of the Russian prisoners from the Central Powers to Russia must be accomplished under the supervision of a body representing the Russian Democracy.

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It is the most solemn will of the Interparty League and undoubtedly of all Russians and Russian-Americans that the Clause of the Armistice according to which the German armies should remain temporarily on Russian soil, as the guardians of order in Russia, should be declared as void and annulled. Russia and the Russian people cannot accept without protest the humiliation that German armies shall become the police force of Russia and the protectors of the population against internal struggles and excesses.

Interparty League for the Restoration of Free Russia.
The Committee.
Dr. Sergei Ingerman
, Chairman
Alex. Chernoff
, Secretary
Dr. Nahum Syrkin

Maurice Kass

Michael Swariks

H. Slutzky

S. Staak