File No. 763.72/7947

The British Ambassador (Reading) to the Secretary of State1

I received cablegram from the Prime Minister as follows:

With reference to your cablegram of November 1, raising question of the use of Japanese troops, the view of the British Cabinet is that the Japanese authorities would never assent to such a proposal if made. It may be that the United States administration may have some better means of knowledge, and of course if they think that the Japanese could be induced to send an expeditionary force to Russia we would support them in every way possible.

The Cabinet has received an important cablegram from their chief military representative in Russia. It is to the effect that the Quartermaster General in Russia has every reason to anticipate that by the month of January there will be an available Russian Army of at least 400,000 selected men. Many applications are being made to him from various units of the military forces requesting that some steps may be adopted for the purpose of protecting those soldiers in the fighting line who wish to do their duty from the propaganda of the Maximalists. A plan has already been adopted to secure the benefit of this distinct step in advance of the morale. The men themselves have proposed that they should get together all those who wish to continue the fight and thus make separate armies. The whole plan is based upon companies being formed of volunteers who come from the same territorial area or zemstvo.2

[Page 2]

A number of companies is already in existence. The basis is that the men swear to concern themselves with the war only. The men will be clothed and fed by the zemstvos, who will also take all steps to prevent agitators from getting amongst the soldiers. Cadres are being established on the basis of volunteers from soldiers of other regiments, who may choose their own leaders or officers. The plan is to extend from companies eventually to regiments which will all be based upon the territorial principle. The scheme further is to constitute a volunteer committee for the province composed of all the councils or zemstvos in the province in order that there may be effective cooperation among the provinces and the councils. It is anticipated that Petrograd will be opposed to the plan, but it is thought that it has now got so strong a hold that it cannot be prevented.

It is clear, in the opinion of this high Russian authority, that it is of the utmost importance that the morale of the Russian troops should be improved, and that there is ground for hoping that an attempt for this purpose will be successful. If the United States administration would consider whether it would be possible for them to raise a question with the Russian Government of sending United States troops to Russia it might be of the greatest value, more especially having regard to the situation in Italy. The British Government does not know whether it would be possible for the United States administration to send troops if the Russian government were agreeable, or even whether such a scheme could be considered; but the matter is of such importance that we cannot help putting it before you for use if you think right.

[File copy not signed]
  1. Note in the margin of MS.: “Handed me by Lord Reading to show Pres’[iden]t. Nov. 1/17. (9 p.m.) R[obert] L[ansing].”
  2. See telegram No. 1871 of Nov. 30 to the Ambassador in Russia, and his reply, No. 2062 of Dec. 3, vol. i, pp. 273 and 284.