Mr. White to Mr. Gresham.

No. 243.]

Sir: Having received your dispatch No. 216, with inclosures relating to Stanislaus F. Krzeminski, and having written a note to the imperial department of foreign affairs, giving the latest details regarding his case as furnished by you, I this afternoon called on the acting minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Chichkine, and presented the case to him verbally. I showed him the evident hardship of the case—if the facts were at all as alleged; dwelt on the danger of ill feeling growing up out of cases of this kind, and this in particular; showed him the embarrassment thus caused our Government and the danger of increasing embarrassment to both sides, and urged that the man, if found, be released at the earliest moment possible. Mr. Chichkine seemed to realize the situation, his former official residence at Washington enabling him to understand me all the more fully. He said that the ministry of foreign affairs was urging the ministry of the interior to examine and report at the earliest moment possible, and that he would renew an urgent request to this effect to that ministry.

He expressed strong doubts as to the alleged facts, especially as to the banishment of Mr. Krzeminski to Siberia, and spoke of the very grave difficulties of such cases at the present moment, when there, is an evident increase in anarchist attempts, and especially in the region where, as it is claimed, Mr. Krzeminski has been arrested.

To this I answered that the papers forwarded by you showed that Mr. Krzeminski had, during all these years of his residence in the United States, led a quiet life, devoted to his business, and had won the [Page 544] respect of those who knew him best, and that the reason for his return to Poland, as alleged, was perfectly simple and natural.

I also laid stress upon the high character and numbers of the signers of the Buffalo petition, and insisted that had he or his son ever shown any anarchist tendencies no such papers could have been obtained, especially at the present moment, when the feeling against anarchist doctrines is so bitter in the classes so fully represented in the petition; and I renewed my statement regarding the serious menace to proper relations between the two countries and the embarrassment caused our Government by an arrest of this sort, urging that prompt measures be taken for Mr. Krzeminski’s release.

Mr. Chichkine assured me that he realized the force of the considerations urged by me, would do all in his power to hasten a solution of the case, and that if there were no complications with anarchist conspiracies, he hoped that Mr. Kzreminski would soon be at liberty.

I accordingly sent you the telegram. No endeavor of mine shall be spared to bring the case to a speedy and happy conclusion, and to this end I am now communicating informally with the imperial department of the interior.

I am, etc.,

And. D. White.