February 13, 1920
Dear Miss Addams,
I have your letter of the 11th inst. with the interesting report from Mr. [Pethick]-Lawrence.
Newspaper reports as to the number of Siberian prisoners, whom it is at all possible for us to reach, are very misleading. From the cables we are receiving, I think there are not more than 18,000 or [19,000] of such prisoners. The cost of repatriating these (not of bringing them to America, but sending them to their own homes), is estimated at about $4,000,000, of which amount it is said that the governments concerned will put up a certain proportion, but probably not all that is needed. Do you know of any individuals or societies in the United States that would care to make contributions toward the total needed, upon condition that the entire sum required would be raised? In the meantime, the Red Cross is looking after the men east of Lake Baikal -- they are not prisoners, by the way, as [Semenoff] has released them all, -- and it will receive and forward by cable any funds for the relief or repatriation of individuals.
The statements made in Mr. [Pethick]-Lawrence's report seem interesting and in some degree helpful, but they have been pretty well superseded by the rapidly changing conditions and should be very carefully used as a basis of any publicity.
Yours very sincerely,
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