U.S. policy and the question of control over Russian railways in 1918

This article examines U.S. policy toward Russian railways in 1918 and its role in shaping Washington’s broader «Russian policy» during this period. It focuses particularly on the official U.S. position regarding the transfer of administrative control over the Chinese Eastern Railway and Trans-Siberian Railway to John Stevens, head of the Russian Railway Service Corps. The author highlights State Department attempts to secure exclusive management rights over Russian railways based on its 1917 agreement with the Russian Provisional Government. The study analyzes factors that intensified U.S.-Japanese rivalry for control of railways in Eastern China and Siberia, while also exploring why Washington ultimately failed to implement its «open door and equal opportunity» policy regarding Russian railroads during this period.