— 44 _—_

24/7/18.

TELEGRAM.

American Ambassador Francis.
Vologda.

Having heard of your resolve to leave Vologda for Archangel we
see ourselves compelled whilst appreciating your clear comprehension
of the untenable situation in Vologda to beg to be kindly informed by
you about some particulars of your decision. If your intention is to leave
Russia we are powerless to hinder you in doing so, but we express ours
sincerest regrets at your departure from our soil together with our hope
fo see you soon in our midst here in the heart of Soviets Russia. In case
you really wish to depart we beg to emphasise that in our view the relations
 between our two countries are not going to be affected by an event
to which we will not ascribe any political symptomatic character. If
however the idea of exchanging Vologda for Archangel was not altogether
 removed from your mind it is unfortunately necessary to draw
your attention to the fact that under military rule in the expectation of
a siege Archangel cannot be residence fit for ambassadors and that such
a question cannot possibly be answered in the affirmative, I cannot but
repeat that under the present condition, when our foes seeing their impotence
 to take our place in the political inclinations of the great masses
seek to conspire, to create artifical outbursts and to provoke civil war,
we can with complete’ earnestness point to Moscow where as experience
shows our forces are and cannot but remain in undisturbed control of
the city and to its peaceful gay suburbs with their splendid villas as to
an appropriate abode which our government deliberately proposes to
the ambassador of friendly American. We must at any cost avoid the
danger of your departure being misinterpreted in the eyes of our great
masses and of American public opinion and of its being understood in a
sense altogether dissimilar to that in which you and myself would understand
 it, what at the present juncture would be a fatal mistake, and the
best means of averting this danger would be your coming to the official
centre of Russia, where a warm reception awaits you.. The special train
is at your disposal but we do not lose the hope that your decision will
be to come to Moscow.

TCHITCHERIN.

24 /7 /

8

Chicherin Commissar Foreign Affairs.
Moscow.

On receipt of your urgent telegram of the twentysecond addressed
 to me as dean of the diplomatic corps and received about noon of