861.48/1477
The Assistant Director of the American Relief
Administration (Herter) to the Acting Chief
of the Division of Russian Affairs, Department of State
(Poole)
Washington, July 23,
1921.
Dear Poole: I am enclosing herewith copy of the
message which was sent this afternoon to our London office for
transmission to Maxim Gorky in Petrograd. I hope that it meets with your
approval in its final shape.
I am also enclosing the original letter addressed by Mr. Hoover to
Secretary Hughes which I brought with me this morning and which I
inadvertently carried off again. I presume that you will want it for
your records.
Sincerely yours,
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[Enclosure—Telegram]
The Chairman of the American Relief
Administration (Hoover) to the London Office of the American Relief
Administration
Washington, June [July] 23,
1921.
For Brown.21 Wish
following cable transmitted quickly to A.R.A. representative in
Esthonia for retransmission to Gorky in Petrograd. If there is no
telegraphic communication he could ask Bolshevik agents to transmit
it. Also if any difficulty getting it through he can publish in Riga
press in any event as soon as transmitted please issue to Riga press
and advise us.
[“] Maxim Gorky, Petrograd: I have read with great feeling your
appeal to Americans for charitable assistance to the starving
and sick people of Russia more particularly the children. To the
whole American people the absolute sine qua
non of any assistance must be the immediate release of
the Americans now held prisoner in Russia and adequate provision
for administration. Once these steps have been taken the
American Relief Administration a purely voluntary association
and an entirely unofficial organization of which I am chairman,
together with other cooperating charitable American
organizations supported wholly through the generosity of the
American people have funds in hand by which assistance for the
children and for the sick could be undertaken immediately. This
organization previously during the last year intimated its
willingness to undertake this service as one of simple humanity
disengaged absolutely from any political social or religious
motives. However for obvious administrative reasons it has been
and is compelled to stipulate for certain undertakings. Subject
to the acceptance of these undertakings we are prepared to enter
upon this work. We are today caring for three and one half
millions of children in ten different countries and would be
willing to furnish necessary supplement of food clothing and
medical supplies to a million children in Russia as rapidly as
organization could be affected. The administrative conditions
that they are obliged to make are identically the same as those
that have been established in every one of the twenty three
countries where operations have been conducted one time or
another in care of upwards of eight million children.
The conditions are that the Moscow Soviet authorities should give
a direct statement to the Relief Administration representatives
in Riga (A) that there is need of our assistance, (B) that
American representatives of the Relief Administration shall be
given full liberty to come and go and move about Russia, (C)
that these members shall be allowed to organize the necessary
local committees and local assistance free from governmental
interference, (D) that they shall be given free transportation
of imported supplies with priority over other traffic that the
authorities shall assign necessary buildings
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and equipment and fuel free of
charge, (E) that in addition to the imported food clothing and
medicines the children and the sick must be given the same
rations of such local supplies as are given to the rest of the
population, (F) that the Relief Administration must have the
assurance of non-interference of the government with the liberty
of all of its members.
On its side the Relief Administration is prepared as usual to
make a free and frank undertaking first that it will within its
resources supply all children and invalids alike without regard
to race creed or social status; Second that its representatives
and assistants in Russia will engage in no political
activities.
I desire to repeat that these conditions are in no sense
extraordinary but are identical with those laid down and readily
accepted by the twenty three other governments in whose
territories we have operated.”
