861.51/532: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul at Vladivostok (Caldwell)
For Harris:
You are hereby authorized to effect, by arrangement with the authorities at Omsk, the surcharging of the Russian rouble notes now held at Vladivostok by Heid. Heid may consider this cable as authority to deliver notes in order to enable you to carry out these instructions.
[Page 455]The notes are to be surcharged in the Russian language with the following legend: “Issued 1919 by the authority of the Government at Omsk.”
In effecting the surcharging of the notes with the above legend you are to obtain formal assurance from the Omsk authorities that this legend is to be interpreted as indicating clearly and without ambiguity, that the Omsk Government alone is the authority pursuant to which the rouble notes in question will have been issued. Upon receiving such formal assurance you will deliver to the Omsk authorities notes duly surcharged to the value of 500,000,000 roubles. You will hold the balance in escrow subject to further instructions from the Department.