File No. 861.00/1819
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Morris)
Your May 19, 1 p.m. In your discretion you may deny all statements showing any plan of economic activity on the part of this Government in Siberia. Please inform the Minister of Foreign Affairs informally that the Russian Railway Service Corps under Mr. Stevens and Colonel Emerson was organized last fall at the request of the Government of Russia to aid the Russian railway administration in improving their railways in-order to assist the Russian people. The military attaché at Vologda has repeatedly urged the sending of several sections of the Railway Service Corps to European Russia and has cited an instance where 3,000 of the railway employees at Vologda had struck because two trainloads of grain had been allowed to pass to Finland when the local population was without bread; he stated that in his judgment the presence of the American engineers could have prevented this. At the urgent solicitation of the Ambassador at Vologda, Colonel Emerson with three assistants was finally sent to consult with him as to whether anything can now be done with the railways in European Russia in helping the people. You are already aware that the Russian Railway Service Corps is being maintained from funds previously set aside by the Russian Government and that its services will be devoted exclusively to assist the Russian people.
You may also inform the Minister of Foreign Affairs that because of the important developments in Siberia, this Government has increased its consular representation in Siberia, as well as other parts of Russia, with a view to obtaining accurate information for its guidance in the very difficult conditions which now obtain in that country. This Government has no doubt whatever that the Government of Japan fully understands and sympathizes with our purpose to assist Russia and the consequent necessity to be accurately in [Page 166] formed of political developments as well as of the movements of the vast supplies endangered by the German penetration of Russian territory. If opportunity occurs, please say quite frankly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that this Government views with concern the obvious attempts which are being made to divide our common efforts by the creation of mutual distrust, and will gladly cooperate with Japan to defeat them. Such attempts of the enemy will not be allowed to modify the confidence of this Government in the cordiality of its relations with the Government of Japan. We confide in the Government of Japan to use its good offices in the same spirit of understanding to make those relations still more beneficial to our two countries.