861.24/121: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul at Vladivostok (Caldwell)
Your 8, January 17, 12 noon, was referred to Am[erican] mission Paris which replies as follows under date of January 25:
“Secretary Lansing and McCormick recommend American Consulate Vladivostok be advised as follows:
[‘] The Czecho-Slovaks National Council, after its recognition by the United States as a de facto belligerent government, received a loan from the United States Government of $7,000,000 to be employed in the purchase of war supplies in the United States. It is primarily with the credit thus created that the shipments to which you refer have been made although presumably some portion of cargoes have been contributed by British Government and by Russian Embassy Washington, D. C. You are authorized if you see fit, to confirm the report of the $7,000,000 loan and to deny the report of a gift of $5,000,000 which report doubtless arose from the fact of setting aside $5,000,000 to constitute capital of War Trade Board Russian Bureau Incorporated. Heid, representative of Russian Bureau Incorporated of War Trade Board and who is at Vladivostok, is fully informed as to all of these matters including data as to all shipments made or to be made from United States to Vladivostok and you should confer with him on these subjects. Department suggests you also confer with Heid relative to port congestion and if further shipments to Vladivostok are in contemplation which in view of conditions you report may be deemed inadvisable. War Trade Board would doubtless stop such shipments upon receipt of recommendation from Heid. The question of disposition of Czecho-Slovak material in Siberia is primarily one for the Czecho-Slovak Government as it is the owner of the properties in question. If the Czecho-Slovak Government does not desire to utilize this property itself, it will doubtless consult with the Associated Governments before disposing of the same to any Russian Government or Russian armed forces. In this event, and at that time, the matter will be considered in the light of the then situation in Russia. Please keep Department informed if you become aware of any specific intention to transfer Czecho-Slovak war material to Russian forces.’
We are under impression that a considerable part of Czecho-Slovak material was consigned to Heid. If this is the case, it might be desirable to instruct Heid not to permit delivery of same without satisfying himself as to intention of Czecho-Slovak authorities relative to ultimate disposition thereof.”
Please confer with Heid and also furnish Harris at Omsk at once with full statement of whole question and of instructions you have received.