Office of the Historian

861.00/5119: Telegram

The Ambassador in Great Britain (Davis) to the Secretary of State

London, August 27, 1919, 3 p.m.
[Received 8:29 p.m.]

2903. Following from [Cole at] Archangel.

“1398. The Zemstvo and Municipal Assembly has adjourned after accomplishing more to arouse popular ways for the defense of Archangel after the Allies’ departure than seemed possible a month ago. Its spontaneity, representative character and democracy have been indisputable throughout. There was a large moderate Socialist majority.

From its first session it was unanimous to continue the struggle. There has been a happy absence of party bickerings due to the Right elements yielding to the inevitable pressure of events with at least a temporary good grace. The Assembly’s concrete accomplishments attained with the cooperation of the Government are:

1,
A commission of defense to sit permanently consisting of three Socialists and two Cadets.
2,
A commission on internal affairs sitting permanently containing four Socialists and one Cadet.
3,
An order forbidding all males from 17 to 50 years to leave the state.
4,
Mobilization according to districts by law [chosen?] by the Russian commander in chief of all males from 17 to 50 into the ranks of the home guards. This also has an appeal as labor mobilization since those not fitted for service in the home guards will labor two eight-hour periods weekly on Government work.
5,
Despatch to the front of about 800 men of the home guards and of approximately 200 volunteers hitherto militarily exempt.
6,
The reduction to a bare minimum of the men released from service as “essential” to Government or technical service.
7,
The sending of a delegation in its name to Europe to obtain the continuance of British volunteer military assistance if possible but in any case to secure financial, food supply, munitions and moral support. The delegates are specially instructed to have the Russian ex-prisoners of war now in Europe returned at once to Archangel, especially those of local origin. This delegation of four contains three Socialists.
8,
A telegram also in the Assembly’s name to the Allied Governments and peoples protesting against the Allied withdrawal and requesting that troops be left. The Assembly ordered this telegram written with a special eye to its effect on the English laboring classes.
9,
An increase of separation allotment to every member of soldiers’ families (volunteer or drafted) from 30 to 100 rubles monthly, also 300 to each man entering service and 300 every three months of satisfactory service thereafter.
10,
The addition of a second member chosen by Assembly to the one now delegated to the Government. Both men chosen are Socialists. Were they to be recalled it would undoubtedly precipitate a Government crisis.
11,
Amnesty to be granted to political offenders, terms thereof to be presented by the Government to the two permanent commissions mentioned.
12,
A revision of the military pension system.
13,
In accepting present personnel of the military Government the Assembly has practically made the present Government dependent on its approval.
14,
A promise from the Government to call a permanent representative body. In the meantime the Assembly has appointed a standing commission to arrange for the election of this body by popular suffrage. This commission of three is wholly Socialist. The new body will be in effect a regional constituent assembly and will have legislative power which the Zemstvo Assembly itself wisely chose not to attempt to exercise.
15,
Guarantee that the Assembly itself shall be reconvened at stated intervals and shall study current problems and express its opinion to the Government. The Assembly has thus gone, without opposition from the Government, much farther than was expected even by its warmest advocates. Something like a parliamentary interpellation took place. The Chief of the Province (in practice [Page 659] Minister of Internal Affairs) replied, whereupon Assembly declared itself satisfied and proceeded to the order of the day.

Points 10, 13, 14, and 15 amount in fact to the establishment of an informal and imperfect parliamentary system. If the changes introduced are maintained and carried out wisely by the Liberals and the moderate Socialist elements it may mark a great step forward in recent Russian political development and be a milestone in the reconstruction of a democratic Russia.

An engineer named Tsaplenko has been made labor inspector. Cole.”

Davis