861.00/7215: Telegram
The Consul at Vladivostok (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 7—12:43 p.m.]
264. Replying to Department’s telegram August 4, 4 p.m. By resolution of Council of Ministers approved by Czar October 24th, 1914, the period for the administrative rearrangement of the Maritime Province and Saghalin was extended and both [sic] and at same time Nikolaievsk and northern part of Udsk county were made part of Saghalin Province as a temporary measure. I am informed this was done in order to enable Governor Grigoreff to reside at Nikolaievsk instead of mailer and less accessible port Alexandrofsk he being former guard officer and close friend of several of the grand dukes and possessing more influence than the Governor General of this district. Of course this explanation was never made public, none being given in the decree itself. Decree merely contains above provisions, gives boundaries of small section around Nikolaievsk which was made part Saghalin Province and provides that Cossacks in this section shall continue to be under Ataman of the Ussuri Cossacks.
This decree has remained in force continuously and legally Nikolaievsk has been part Saghalin to the present although this has never come to my attention heretofore.