763.72119/2752
President Wilson to the Secretary of
State
Washington
, 20
November, 1918.
My Dear Lansing: I have read the enclosed, of course,
with genuine interest, but is it feasible, in view of the present at
least temporary
[Page 269]
disintegration
of Russia into at least five parts, Finland, the Baltic Provinces,
European Russia, Siberia, and the Ukraine, to have Russia represented at
the peace table, or to admit a part of her by recognizing and receiving
delegates from the Omsk government?
Cordially and faithfully yours,
[Enclosure]
Memorandum
The Interparty League for the Restoration of free Russia has been
formed in New York at the beginning of 1918, when it became evident
that the Bolsheviki groups in Russia were the tools of the German
Government and are leading the country to social and political
anarchy and national disintegration. The League is composed of
different political groups in America, of Social Democrats, Social
Revolutionists, Popular Socialists and Liberals, which means all the
political shades of Russia with the exception of the Monarchists and
the Bolsheviki. The programme of the League is the establishment of
a democratic republic in Russia and the convocation of the
Constitutional Assembly on the basis of universal, equal, direct and
secret suffrage. The League was active in shaping Russian and
American public opinion in this country through different
publications, through mass meetings, lectures, conferences in all
the greatest cities of America.
The Interparty League considers as its privileges and duty to present
to the American Government its wishes and desires in regard to the
relations of America and the Allies toward Russia, and the League is
fully convinced that it is expressing thereby the will of all those
political parties in Russia which are the leading forces in the
great work of establishing a free democratic Russia.
It is of great importance for the restoration and liberation of
Russia that the American Government should recognize the coalitional
Omsk Government which is a settled Government of a part of Russia
and the first successful and solid step to the establishment of an
orderly free government in all Russia.
It is imperative that Russia shall get a full representation at the
Peace Conference, as a free and independent country. America and all
the Allies can never forget or ignore the fact that the Russian
people and the Russian armies had sacrificed immeasurably in blood
and wealth during the first years of the war for the freedom of the
world and safety of civilization.
The repatriation of the Russian prisoners from the Central Powers to
Russia must be accomplished under the supervision of a body
representing the Russian Democracy.
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It is the most solemn will of the Interparty League and undoubtedly
of all Russians and Russian-Americans that the Clause of the
Armistice according to which the German armies should remain
temporarily on Russian soil, as the guardians of order in Russia,
should be declared as void and annulled. Russia and the Russian
people cannot accept without protest the humiliation that German
armies shall become the police force of Russia and the protectors of
the population against internal struggles and excesses.
Interparty League for the Restoration of Free Russia.
The
Committee.
Dr. Sergei Ingerman
,
Chairman
Alex. Chernoff
,
Secretary
Dr. Nahum Syrkin
Maurice Kass
Michael Swariks
H. Slutzky
S. Staak
