811.20261/29: Telegram
The Minister in Sweden ( Morris ) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received March 22, 5:21 a.m.]
3755. Referring Department’s 1524 [1534], February 25, 6 p.m. and my 3699 March 5, 5 p.m.43 William C. Bullitt has just returned to Stockholm from Russia where he went on a mission for the American Peace Commission in Paris. While in Russia Bullitt saw Kalamatiano, [Page 179] who he states is well and is being well treated. Bullitt brought out a memorandum44 signed by M. Gruzenberg of the Russian Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, stating that in order to facilitate the return to Russia of Professor Lomonossoff 45 (see my 3580, February 3, 6 p.m.45a the Bolsheviks proposed to release Kalamatiano and accord him safe passage to the Russo-Finnish border on condition that Lomonossoff be given similar facilities to reach the Russo-Finnish border. Gruzenberg further states that our Government had issued Lomonossoff a permit to leave the United States, but that he was unable to do so as the Swedish Legation declined to visa his passport. If our Government is willing to permit Professor Lomonossoff to depart in exchange for the release of Kalamatiano, I am reasonably sure that I can arrange with the Foreign Office here to have instructions sent to the Swedish Legation at Washington to visa Lomonossoff’s passport to permit him to travel through Sweden. Please cable me on this point.
While in Russia Bullitt saw two other Americans who were taken prisoners by the Bolsheviks at Archangel. Their names are Vili Huston [Walter Houston], address care of Mrs. Pearl Cotton, Walkerville, Michigan, and George Albers, whom I previously reported as a prisoner in Moscow.46 His address is care of Mrs. George Albers, 72 South Terrace Street, Muskegon, Michigan. Allowed complete liberties during the day, they are well treated and in good health, and while they are underfed they are allowed the same ration as that given to Russians. Bullitt brought out letters from Albers to his wife and from Huston [Houston] to his sister. These letters I am forwarding to the Department in the next pouch.
- Latter not printed.↩
- Not found in the Department files.↩
- Prof. George V. Lomonosov, who represented the Russian Ministry of Ways of Communication in the Bakhmeteff Mission to the United States in June 1917, and who continued to represent the Russian Provisional Government in the matter of railway supplies, was relieved of his duties by Ambassador Bakhmeteff June 12, 1918.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Houston and Albers were members of the 339th U. S. Infantry stationed in northern Russia and were released by the Bolsheviks in April 1919.↩