File No. 861.00/2322

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia (Derber) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram—Translation]

Note of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the provisional government of autonomous Siberia as follows:

In compliance with the provisions of the declaration of the provisional government of autonomous Siberia under date of July 8 to the friendly powers and on the ground of a special decision of the government under date of July 15, I have the honor of begging you to bring to the knowledge of your Government the desire of the provisional government of autonomous Siberia to strengthen the relations of friendship which exist between our two countries by uniting as soon as possible our military forces before the menace of the common enemies. Our respective governments must understand the consequences of the further advance of the Austro-German forces [Page 297] in the heart of Russia and of Siberia, especially when a great number of prisoners of war are in Siberia and Russia already occasioning uneasiness by their independent actions toward that end and owing to the fact that one may conceive how difficult it will be to mobilize all the forces of Russia, in a more or less near future. The provisional government of autonomous Siberia has instructed me to ask you to ascertain and to communicate to it, through me, the views and the intentions of your Government upon the possible organization, with the aid of the Allied military forces, of a new Russo-German front. The provisional government of autonomous Siberia expresses the firm confidence that the real intentions of your Government will be welcomed by it with the liveliest interest provided the common problems are settled without impairment of the territorial sovereignty of Russia which the provisional government of autonomous Siberia believes it is its duty to safeguard. I hope for my part that the gravity of the situation will constrain our two governments immediately to enter into pourparlers for the examination of the conditions for common action aiming at a settlement of the common problems herein referred to. I take the liberty of expressing the firm hope that you will be so obliging as to acquaint me, in the near future, with the reply of your Government.

For the Minister:
Arkadi Petrov