861.48/746: Telegram
The Chargé in Russia (Poole) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received January 19, 5 a.m.]
760. In reply to Department’s telegram 448, January 16, 7 p.m. In [If?] our allotment is $5,000,000, as I am informed by Lindley,3 it is impossible that it has been exhausted for Murman alone. It must be for entire North Russian Relief. The 22,000,000 odd roubles collected to date at Archangel have been currently disbursed chiefly to pay customs duty on the food imported and to the British military and naval authorities for current local needs of Allied base expedition. Availability of our one-third share of the credit thereby created depends on the arrangements which have been made with the British Government for the partition of the expenses of North Russian intervention. If this credit need not be applied to our share of such expenses it would be desirable to use it for purchase of further food supplies for Murman and Archangel and it is essential that relief work be kept up. The food is being sold at prices calculated sufficient to cover cost and all expenses stated above supported by voucher. Committee should therefore eventually collect nearly the whole sum spent for food allowing for a small proportion of bad debts et cetera. At Murman no cash has been received to date, the food being issued in lieu of arrears of wages owed by Murman railway port authorities, etc., so that only a book credit against a future Russian government has been created. As back wages have now been obviated in part, cash receipts should begin.
- Francis O. Lindley, British Commissioner in Russia.↩