File No. 763.72/8142
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)
6051. Please advise what information Foreign Office has regarding subject matter following telegram from Jassy, dated December 13, also any action taken:
After long conference with military attaché I beg to inform Department of following: Many Russian officers and men are starting an organization for defense and order to which not only the officers but also soldiers and civilians who wish to continue the war will be admitted. They claim to have a large membership already and expect in a very short time to have an organized force of over one million men. This organization needs money if our Government is in favor of supporting it. Our military attaché claims that our Government, just as the English and French Governments, should appropriate liberal sum, between $10,000,000 and $50,000,000, for financing this movement, for Russian, Rumanian requirements, with object of continuing the war on their Rumanian and Russian fronts. This sum should be put immediately at my disposal because when emergency arises there is no time to telegraph Department for specific sums. The Government must have confidence in me and military attaché to see to the proper expenditure of this money. British Minister here has £10,000,000 at his disposal for this purpose and he offered me 1,000,000 lei immediately but I refused to accept it until I receive instruction from the Department. [Vopicka.]