661.1115/22a: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Wallace)86
483. The American Government has considered carefully the Supreme Council’s communication of January 20, 1920,87 regarding a plan for resuming trade with Russia using the cooperatives as a medium and also to the general problem of the possibility of trading with Russia by whatever means.
The American Government is keenly conscious of the necessity that general economic conditions be improved, if possible, by commerce with Russia and is ready to take any measures which are practical looking toward hastening the reopening of trade.
The Soviet Government has now gained control of the greater part of Russia and a natural prelude to the reopening of trade with the regions under Soviet control would be the establishment of relations [Page 704] with the Soviet Government. The American Government, however, has not received substantial evidence that the good faith of the Soviet régime has been sufficiently established or its charaeter been so altered, after past difficulties experienced in dealing with it, as to justify an effort to renew even the informal relations that were in being until August 1918. The American Government does not feel that the public interest permits that representatives of the Soviet Government be received by the United States in American territory.
On the other hand, the American Government feels that it is no longer warranted in continuing the existing trade restrictions, which originally were invoked purely as a war measure, nor in preventing longer such commerce as private enterprise may be able to effect with persons anywhere in Russia.
For this reason the American Government intends soon to remove the restrictions which it has imposed hitherto. Before doing so, however, it wishes to learn the views of the Allied Governments and to offer the suggestion that it is to be desired, if the Allied Governments concur, that they take common action at an early date to be determined by mutual agreement. This Government proposes March 20.
In case the suggested measures are adopted, the American Government believes that it would be well if each of the Allied and Associated Governments would inform its nationals, when the trade restrictions are removed, regarding the uncertainties of conditions in Russia and the limited degree of protection which the home Government will probably be able to give to those engaged in trade with those regions of Russia which the Bolsheviki control.
The American Government wishes to inquire whether the Allied Governments, in the course of their discussions in regard to resuming trade with Russia, have given consideration to measures which may be adopted to prevent securities or other valuables, which the Bolsheviki may obtain through illegal means, from being dispersed abroad as a result of trade resumption.
- The same to the Ambassador in Great Britain (no. 232). By a later telegram (no. 245, Mar. 9), the Ambassador in Great Britain was instructed to present a paraphrase of telegram no. 483 to the British Foreign Office. By telegram no. 495, Mar. 9, like instructions were sent to the Ambassador in France, together with instructions to repeat to the Ambassador in Italy for similar action.↩
- See undated telegram from the Ambassador in France, p. 701.↩