Franklin Knight Lane to Woodrow Wilson

As I will not have an opportunity to see you for a few days, perhaps you will pardon me for giving you the gist of my talk with various members of the Commission to Russia, especially my talk with Mr. Mott and Mr. Russell.

I believe that from our standpoint the immediate need is a great program of education through moving pictures, speeches, YMCA Wilson's, etc. as to what the United States is and why it is in the war. Mr. Mott has outlined his own views on this matter to me and I have talked them over with Stanley Washburn, who knows Russia very well, and he concurs in them.

The second greatest matter of help is the improvement of the facilities upon the Siberian railroad. Mr. Willard, who has kept in touch with John F. Stevens, says that he is ready to provide men to go to Vladivostok to set up the locomotives, and that nothing is immediately needed to carry on this work excepting credit for Russia in our markets with which to buy equipment. The ships are available to carry from our coast to theirs.