701.6111/561
Mr. L. Martens to the Secretary of State
[Received March 31.]
Sir: On March 19th, 1919, I had the honor to present to the Secretary of State of the United States of America a certificate of my appointment as the Representative in the United States of the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic, together with a memorandum setting forth the situation in Russia and the desire of my Government to establish friendly relations with the United States.12
Awaiting a favorable decision on my request for a conference to discuss the establishment of such relations, I have maintained in the City of New York since March 19th, 1919, and in the City of Washington, since December 20th, 1919, offices of the Government of the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic. My mission has been the attainment of friendly diplomatic and economic relations between the United States and Russia, and my activities have been strictly lawful and proper, as has been fully established throughout the lengthy investigations to which I have been subjected by various local and federal bodies.
[Page 456]I have already brought to the attention of the Secretary of State the treatment to which I was subjected on the 12th day of June, 1919, and on other occasions, when I have been molested by various local police agents without any cause whatsoever.
American citizens and officials in Russia who, in view of the unsettled relations between our respective governments, have occupied in Russia a position similar to that occupied in the United States by myself and other citizens of Russia, have been treated there with every consideration, and officers of the United States Government visiting Russia have been accorded every diplomatic courtesy.
I am again the subject of proceedings by officials of your Government. On March 29, 1920, I was served with a warrant demanding my appearance this day before your immigration authorities for the institution of deportation proceedings against me. I have informed my Government of these circumstances and I take this occasion to bring them to your attention.
My original letter of March 19th, 1919, has remained unacknowledged by the Department of State. I have thus never been informed of the attitude taken towards myself or my mission by the Department of State, which I understand is the branch through which the President of the United States expresses the attitude of the Government of the United States towards the accredited representatives of other countries. I assure you, Sir, that my Government would not desire me to remain in this country to persist in a fruitless mission if the Department of State would inform me that it does not desire my presence here and does not consider favorably the establishment of friendly relations with the Government of Russia. If I am informed to that effect I shall be pleased to leave the United States as soon as facilities to reach my country are placed at my disposal.
I also take this occasion to ask your consideration for the following matter:
During the course of the investigation of my activities recently, concluded by a Sub-Committee of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, counsel for that committee introduced into the record certain documents supplied by the Department of State and described as having been seized upon the person of some messenger or messengers proceeding from Soviet Russia. While there was nothing in those documents which bore any relation to my activities in this country, and while the documents in question did not emanate from my Government, which facts I called to the attention of the Committee, nevertheless, the press has given wide publicity to an implication that these messengers and documents were in some manner connected with my mission and had some direct connection [Page 457] with my Government. The nature of the documents was such that it was impossible that they could have originated from my Government, the consistent policy of which is to refrain from any interference in the internal affairs of the United States. In view of the misapprehension which may have been created by the publication of these documents at this time, I respectfully request that the State Department may supply me with full information regarding the circumstances surrounding the apprehension of these messengers and all details regarding the contents of the documents. This information I shall at once transmit to my Government, confident that my Government will be able to demonstrate to the complete satisfaction of the Government and people of the United States that it had no connection with the matter in question.
I am [etc.]
Representative in the United States of the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic
- Neither printed.↩