CatherinePalace
Tsarskoe Selo, Russia
June 6, 1905
George Meyer, United States ambassador to imperial Russia, had his instructions directly from the president of the United States. He carried a message for the Tsar’s eyes only. Through the Russian foreign minister, Count Lamsdorff, Meyer had requested a private meeting with Nicholas. Lamsdorff balked at first, noting that the imperial family was at Tsarskoe Selo to celebrate the Tsarina’s birthday the following day, June 7. Meyer convinced the foreign minister to allow him to visit the Tsar that very day.
Meyer traveled by train to Tsarskoe Selo and hoped that his mission would be successful, but he had his doubts. He had never been impressed with Tsar Nicholas, either as a statesman or as an intellect. He had warned the president not to get his hopes up. Nonetheless, he intended to deliver the president’s proposal as forcefully as possible.
Upon his arrival at the Catherine Palace, Nicholas kept him waiting for over an hour in his outer office. When he was finally admitted to the Tsar’s office, Meyer presented President Roosevelt’s proposal, reading the exact instructions given to him. Roosevelt stressed that the unanimous consensus of all the world leaders was that the war was hopeless. Its continuation would have disastrous repercussions for Russia and its foreign possessions. He emphasized the total secrecy of the invitation and expressed his belief that he could get the Japanese to agree to the meeting; the message did not reveal that the Japanese agreement had already been secured. The president proposed that the negotiations take place as soon as possible and at any location agreeable to the belligerents.
Meyer grew exasperated at Nicholas’ rambling responses, which seemed both irrelevant and trivial. For minutes at a time, he simply stared at Meyer. The meeting evolved just as Meyer had feared it would. Meyer continued to play on his close relationship with the president and his knowledge of the man’s great integrity. He expressed empathy for the Tsar, agreeing that decisions such as these were always difficult, but stressed that the ultimate good of the people must be the objective of any great leader.
At the end of the nearly hour-long meeting, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia instructed a surprised and delighted Ambassador George Meyer to inform President Roosevelt that he agreed to his proposal. He would meet with the Japanese. The war had to end.