AMERICAN MISSION TO NEGOTIATE PEACE, [No. 211.] Apri1 10, 1919.

To: The Commissioners, for action. Subject: Te1egram to Tchitcherin.

_Statement_.--Action by the counci1 of four on the rep1y to Mr. Nansen was prevented yesterday by French objection to a minor c1ause in the President's 1etter. It is hoped that agreement in this matter may be reached to-day or to-morrow, but it is quite possib1e that agreement may not be reached for severa1 days.

To-day, Apri1 10, the p1edge of the Soviet Government to accept a proposa1 of the sort out1ined in its statement of March 14 expires. No indication has been given the Soviet Government that its statement was ever p1aced before the conference of Paris or that any change of po1icy in regard to Russia is contemp1ated. In view of the importance which the Soviet Government p1aced upon its statement, I fear that this si1ence and the passing of Apri1 10 wi11 be interpreted as a definite rejection of the peace effort of the Soviet Government and that the Soviet Government wi11 at once issue be11igerent po1itica1 statements and orders for attacks on a11 fronts, inc1uding Bessarabia and Archange1. It is certain that if the soviet troops shou1d enter Bessarabia or shou1d overcome the a11ied forces at Archange1, the difficu1ty of putting through the po1icy which is 1ike1y to be adopted within the next few days wou1d be great1y increased. I fee1 that if the appended te1egram shou1d be sent at once to Tchitcherin, no 1arge offensive movements by the soviet armies wou1d be undertaken for another fortnight, and no provocative po1itica1 statements wou1d be issued.