WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE 1917

STOCKHOLM AND MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON 141
should be supplemented or replaced by someone whose known
sympathies with Labour and Socialist movements would ensure
him the confidence of the Russian Government.
The War Cabinet was also impressed with the success
achieved in Petrograd by M. Albert Thomas, the French
Socialist leader, whose services had been publicly recognised
in an interview granted by M. Terestchenko, the new Russian
Foreign Minister. As the continued cooperation of Russia
was clearly of great importance to us in the War, we decided
to invite Mr. Arthur Henderson to make a personal
sacrifice and to go to Petrograd on a similar footing to that
of M. Albert Thomas.
No immediate decision was considered necessary as to
how long Mr. Henderson should stay, but he was advised to
make his political arrangements on the assumption that the
visit would be temporary. It was decided that, in the event
of Mr. Henderson's accepting the invitation, Sir George
Buchanan should be retained in Petrograd for a short time
in order to post Mr. Henderson up on matters of detail.
At the end of a few weeks, subject, however to Mr. Henderson's
concurrence at the time, Sir George Buchanan should
be recalled to London for purposes of consultation. It was
generally agreed that it would be desirable for Mr. Henderson
to leave for Petrograd at the earliest possible date.
Mr. Henderson read a telegram he had received from
M. Thomas to the effect that the Workmen's Council was
awaiting the arrival of a British Delegation, and that he
attached great importance to the presence of Mr. Henderson
himself.
There were clearly a number of very strong reasons for
sending Mr. Henderson on this Mission, and even for arranging
that he should for a short time replace Sir George Buchanan
at the Embassy in Petrograd. Things in Russia were in
a state of great confusion and uncertainty, and in the medley