Dokument-Nr. 14749
Hodgson, Sir Robert Mac Leod
an MacDonald, James Ramsay
Moskau, 27. August 1924
With reference to my despatch Nº 764 of August 14th, I have the honour to report that yesterday evening I breached the question of Madame Abrikosova and the Catholic nuns with Monsieur Cicerin.
2. M. Chicherin [sic] had evidently taken action with a view to alleviating the lot of these persons, since he told me that he understood that they were to be moved from their present places of exile and placed in more favoured surroundings. He did not know exactly what places have been selected for them.
3. He repeated that it would be preferable wers [sic] action taken in this and similar matters through some other medium than His Majesty's Governement. The most convenient channel would no doubt be the Soviet Embassy in Rome, but, as he thought that the Vatican would be disinclined to use this means of communication, the alternative would be for the Papal Nuncio in Berlin to approach Monsieur Krestinsky. In reply to my question as to whether intercession by the Vatican on these lines would be likely to re-
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sult in the nuns being allowed to leave Russian
territory, he told me he thought this was quite possible. I think, thereford [sic] that our
intercession in this matter has not been fruittles [sic], for the fact that His Majesty's
Government has shown interest in the fate of the nuns seems to have disposed the Soviet
Government to regard favourably any approach that may be made eventually by the Holy
See.I have the honour to be, with the highest respect,
Sir,
Your most obedient
humble servant,
(signed) R. M. Hodgson.