During the 1904–05
Russo-Japanese War, he worked as a war correspondent, initially covering the conflict from the Russian side. Washburn moved from the battlefront to Russia to cover the
Revolution of 1905. In spring 1917 Washburn was in Baltimore in the United States, following the
February Revolution that saw the Russian Empire dissolved. There, he discussed with railway executive
Daniel Willard the shortage of ammunition and other war materiel in the Russian army and recommended that the US help to make improvements to the
Trans-Siberian Railway to support Russia's war effort. The US shortly after entered the war and Willard as chairman of the Advisory Committee on National Defense was told to assemble a commission to act on Washburn's idea. It was planned to assign Washburn to the commission sent to Russia, which was headed by American engineer
John Frank Stevens. At a late moment Washburn was instead appointed to the mission headed by
Elihu Root sent by US President Woodrow Wilson to liaise with the post-revolution
Russian Provisional Government of which Washburn was a strong supporter. Washburn had returned to the United States by December 1917. Washburn became the president of the Washburn Lignite Coal Company in Wilton, North Dakota from 1926 to 1929. == Personal life ==