1113

February 27, 1918.

My dear Mr. President:

A matter has come up suddenly today in such
form that, with Mr. Lansing's approval (per telephone)
and the knowledge of the War Trade Board (through Mr.
Woolley) I bring it to your attention. It seems to
need almost or quite immediate care.

The War Department, through Mr. Samuel McRoberts,
Bureau of Ordnance, called upon our Mr. Cutler (Bureau of
Foreign and Domestic Conmerce) for assistance in getting
out from Viadivostok four million pounds each of pioric
acid and T.N.T. and a lot of cotton linters which the War
Department badly need, which is lying unused in Vladivostok
in the hands of private parties said to be willing to sell.
Mr. McRoberts said he had available four million dollars
to create credit in Tokio for the purchase. Mr. Cutler,
looking into the matter, found that the Navy Department
(Bureau of Operations) had an officer in Vladivostok who
could act as purchasing agent, and that vessel space might
be secured by said representative to carry as much as five
thousand tons of materials mentioned. This information
has been conveyed to Mr. McRoberts.

This, however, is but one phase of the matter.
An enormous mass of war materials lies in Vladisvostok -
Mr. Lansing says 800,000 tons. It is paid for and was
supposed to be the property of the Russian Government, what-
ever that is, and is thought now to be controlled by private
parties. It includes war materials of every description.
I need hardly say how valuable to the Germans the explosives
and cotton mentioned would be, nor can we assume safely that
they do not know their existence in Vladivostok. We may
assume as a fact that they are as well informed as we and
as anxious to get the material. Doubtless too they know
of the enormous mass of new war material in addition to
the explosives and cotton and will make, when they can,
every effort to secure them.

The problem is what to do, with whom, and how to
do it. We have in Tokio a first class attache, Dr. Frank
R. Rutter, whom we could send immediately to Vladivostok on
wire notice if that is best. There is, of course, a consul
at Vladivostok. The Navy Department can tell you of the
officer there whom we have mentioned above.

Would it not seem that a conference of the various

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