File No. 861.00/1907½
[The following paraphrase of a telegram was handed to the Secretary
by the Ambassador on May 29, 1918:]
The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (Balfour) to the Ambassador at
Washington
We understand from your reports that intervention at Archangel
and Murmansk is regarded by the United States as a different
question from that of intervention in the Far East.
I should be much obliged if you would urgently impress upon the
United States Government and upon the President the following
considered opinion of our military and naval authorities on this
question.
On the Murmansk coast assistance from America is badly required
and is, in fact, essential. Every day the position of Murmansk
is more seriously endangered and, as the United States
Government will of course be aware, it is of vital importance to
us to retain Murmansk, if we desire to retain any possibility at
all of entering Russia.
This danger has become so extreme that we are sending to Murmansk
such small marine and military forces as we are able to spare
during the present crisis in France. These forces will, however,
clearly not be enough to resist the further efforts which the
enemy are certain to put forward on this coast. The despatch of
additional French or British reinforcements is impossible and it
is therefore essential that America should help by sending a
brigade, to which a few guns should be added. It is not
necessary that the troops sent should be completely trained, as
we anticipate that military operations in this region will only
be of an irregular character.
It is possible that we may be asked why British troops are not
sent. The reason is that Great Britain is now completely denuded
of troops, and it is not feasible to take trained troops, even
in small numbers, from France where they are being used more or
less as cadres for the training of the
American forces now reaching the west front. There is a further
consideration which is worthy of careful consideration by the
President. Great use has been made already of the divergence of
view among the Allied countries with regard to the Russian
situation, and for this reason it is of great importance that
the United States should show their agreement with us on this
matter by taking part in the steps adopted for preventing the
closing of the only remaining door through which assistance can
be given to Russia in her hour of need.
