861.48/905
The Acting Secretary of State to the President
Washington, July 11,
1919.
My Dear Mr. President: We have $1,000,000 accruing from the sale of foodstuffs from the $5,000,000 revolving fund for rationing North Russia, which we can still use for the same purpose. Telegrams from Archangel and Paris show:
- 1.
- That Mr. Hoover has no supplies for Archangel and Murmansk.
- 2.
- That the present stocks of flour there will be exhausted by August first.
- 3.
- That we have a moral obligation to continue the assistance which we have been rendering for the past year.
- 4.
- That the rationing of North Russia will, necessarily, have a bearing upon the support which has been promised to Kolchak.
- 5.
- That from a political point of view it is obviously unwise to let North Russia revert to Bolshevism through starvation, especially in view of Mr. Hoover’s undertaking to supply Petrograd upon the overthrow of the Bolsheviki.
I arranged a contract with the Grain Corporation which will enable us to ship at once about 5000 tons of flour to Archangel, but have not authorized the expenditure until I could get your views.
[Page 637]I believe the shipment should be made and hope that you will let me know that you approve.
I am [etc.]
Frank L.
Polk
Approved
Woodrow Wilson
12 July, 1919.