Ambassador McCormick to the Secretary of State.

Sir: * * * There can be no doubt that for some time a socialist group has been at work among the operatives in St. Petersburg, as well as other manufacturing towns and cities of Russia. In spite of all precautions taken by the censorship great quantities of socialistic literature have been sent across the border and widely distributed from St. Petersburg to Odessa in every town of any manufacturing importance. This has been going on for some years and the war and its accompanying conditions have been such as to bring this propaganda to its full fruition.

As far as I can hear, the authorities have the situation now in hand and no more serious outbreaks are looked for except at Moscow, where to-day was fixed as a time for demonstrations similar to those in St. Petersburg on Sunday. However, it is presumed that all necessary precautions have been taken to prevent an actual clash between the troops and police with the populace.

It is exceedingly difficult to obtain any information on what is transpiring outside of St. Petersburg, even in its suburbs, and therefore nothing available here upon which to form an intelligent opinion as to how widespread is the feeling of discontent and unrest and how far-reaching its consequences may be.

I have, etc.,

Robert S. McCormick.