10 Juillet 1918. .

Le porteur de la présente, le citoyen Radek, directeur du Département
 pour l’Europe Centrale du Commissariat du Peuple pour les Affaires
Etrangères, est délégué pour organiser le voyage des représentants des
Puissances de l’Entente se rendant de Vologda à Moscou, ayant reçu
du Commissariat pleins powwairs pour traiter avec les dits représentants
boutes les questions relatives à leur venue à Moscou, pour écarter toute
difficulté et tout malentendu et pour donner aux autorités locales toutes
les directions nécessaires en cette affaire. Le Gouvernement Russe prie
les Répresentants des susdites Puissances de considérer toutes | e s ouverbures
 qui leur seront faites par l’entremise du citoyen Radek dans le
même esprit d’amitié et de bienveillance mutuelle dans lequel elles ont
Été. conçues. . .
Le Commissaire du Peuple pour les Affaires Etrangéres

(Signé) TCHITCHÉRINE.

TRANSLATION FROM RUSSIAN.
Vologda, July 14th 1918.

The American Ambassador, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.

Vologda.

On July 12th I beg to inform you that the People’s Commissary
for Foreign Affairs deems it necessary for the entire Diplomatic Corps
to leave Vologda for Moscow. I was pointing out to you that our invitation
 was due to the apprehension that the adventurous elements which
attempted to involveRussia in the war through the provocationary assassination
 of the German Ambassador might try to protect themselves
against the accusation of acting as the result of alliedinducement bymaking
 a similar attempt against tce representatives of the Allied Powers.
At the same time I was emphasising the fact to which my attention was
drawn by the Soviet Authorities at Vologda that about 5000 German
and Austrian prisoners of war have gathered there and are no doubt
partially excited by the assassination of the German Ambassador.
I took the liberty of responding to all your objections advanced
in your name and in that of the Diplomatic Corps. I pointed out that the
information supplied to you by persons personally unknown to me about
German military detachments being at present in Moscow is a conscious
provocation. With regard to your statement that Moscow is directly
threatened by a German offensive I submitted that this having actually