almost all bourgeois. Two of them are more or less frankly pleased with the turn of events in Siberia, only one supported his proposal for a protest, the remaining either vacillated or counseled delay. Failing support of the government, he desired to send independent protest in his capacity as a member of the Directory, but the British and the French Ambassadors have dissuaded him for the present, creating the hope that the Allied Governments may effect some adjustment at Omsk acceptable to him. They have informed. him that they have recommended to their governments the discountenancing of illegal and forceful measures. Increased activity has been perceptible for some days in local commercial and banking circles in favor of the reaction. A leading Cadet has published in a local newspaper an attack upon the Constitutional Assembly as having been elected under circumstances which gave it no real sanction, and denying the authority of highest members of the Assembly or groups thereof to set up governments such as the Omsk Directory. There seems to be also some monarchist agitation among the Russian army officers. As a precautionary measure, Chaplin, who figured in the arrest of the Governor, September 5, has been sent out of Archangel. Concurrently with the foregoing there are evidences of increased unrest and radical agitation among the laboring classes. POOLE File No. 861.00/3220 The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Russia (Poole) [Telegram] WASHINGTON, December 4, 1918, 8 p. m. 386. Your 572, November 13, 3 p. m. Signing of the armistice has created no change in the situation until the question of how to further assist Russia, particularly after the withdrawal of German troops from occupied Russian territory, is determined by discussion with the Allied Governments at Paris. The President and Secretary of State have to-day sailed for France. As already made quite clear by this Government American forces were sent to Archangel only to safeguard Russian stores and supplies and to protect the port of Archangel from attacks which were being organized or directed in whole or in part by German and Austrian prisoners of war. POLK File No. 861.00/3399 The Chargé in Russia (Poole) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] ARCHANGEL, December 10, 1918, 8 p. m. [Received December 11, 8.23 a. m.] 648. Lindley has received from Balfour statement British policy in Hamilton [Russia], of which the following is the gist: Dispatch of British troops to Russia warrant [was] for the purpose of withholding German forces from the western front, and not. to overthrow any existing régime or to reestablish order. His Majesty's Government do not intend to interfere in Russian domestic affairs, but owe certain obligations to the Czechs who are our allies. and certain governments which have grown from [up] under our protection on the White Sea, in Siberia, the Caucasus and Transcaspian. The extent of the protection to be given and what may develop thereafter can not now be foreseen. As, after four years of war, His Majesty's Government have not forces available to be dispersed over the large area of Russia, this will depend largely upon the decisions of Associated Governments having more considerable resources at their disposal. British activities will be limited for the present to the use of the troops now in Russia and to furnishing munitions to certain elements known to be friendly to the Allied cause. Military attaché learns that 3,400 additional British troops recently arrived at Murmansk. POOLE File No. 861.00/3404 The Chargé in Russia (Poole) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] ARCHANGEL, December 11, 1918, 8 p. m. [Received December 12, 11.50 a. m.] 654. One company of the local Russian regiment having been ordered to the front this morning, meetings were begun which resulted in the entire regiment's declining to leave its barracks. On the second order being sent to them by General Ironside himself, five hundred, mostly old soldiers, prisoners of war, returned from Germany, presented themselves in proper formation, the remainder were then driven from the buildings by a few shots from a trench mortar and placed under guard. On being ordered to indicate the ringleaders, they pointed out some thirty men who were forthwith shot. The company designated for service at the front was then sent forward without arms. No reaction on the general public is perceptible so far. The incident emphasizes anew the incapacity of Russian officers of the old régime to adjust themselves to new conditions and the unwisdom of persisting in conscription. I understand that conscription was insisted upon by the local Russian government, including Chaikovski, despite the opinion of Mr. Francis and the other Ambassadors that the volunteer system is alone practicable at present. General Marushevski, who has commanded the Russian forces since November 18, as reported my No. 582, is an excellent man, but inevitably embarrassed by the constant necessity of accommodating the revolutionary [sentiments?] of the men on the one side to the stupid reactionary ideas of many of the officers on the other. Miller, who will supersede Marushevski, the latter remaining as second in command, is reported leaving London to-day en route from Rome. Foregoing also sent to Paris. POOLE File No. 861.00/3434 The Chargé in Russia (Poole) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] ARCHANGEL, December 12, 1918, 7 p. m. [Received December 13, 3.04 p. m.] 658. To Paris also. Tendencies noted in the last paragraph of my 625, December 2, 8 p. m., especially unrest among left elements, becoming somewhat more marked as news Siberian events spreading. Allied embassies have had following published to-day: In view of current rumors, the Allied military command, after consulting with the Allied embassies, considers it desirable to inform the people of the Archangel government that while adhering carefully to the principle of noninterference in Russian internal politics it cannot permit public order to be disturbed in the areas protected by Allied troops. Political activity in this region must be carried on within the legal limits. Any attempts at a coup d'état or other violent or illegal political change, whether coming from the parties of the right or the left, is forbidden and will be rigorously put down. This action was taken on my proposal. It seemed important first to put a definite stop by this means to the silly counter-revolutionary plotting of certain Russian officers, who thought they had the secret sympathy of the Allies, in which they may not have been without encouragement from certain French officers, although Noulens has energetically opposed all such movements; second and most important, to reassure the mass of the people whose uneasiness seems to have been largely due to a fear that the Allies might countenance or support a reactionary coup. There is still no perceptible popular reflex from the events reported in my telegram 654 of yesterday. This disturbance was somewhat apart from the developments mentioned above, having its origin in the conditions described in the second and third paragraphs of my 654, and its most immediate cause in the unwise insistence of the Russian officers upon resuming epaulets which are to the soldiers the outward symbol of reaction. Bolshevik propaganda has been especially active recently; it has also aimed to influence the American troops and to create ill feeling among them against the British in which it has unfortunately not been without success. The situation is reported to have been acute in M Company, since one of its popular men was killed at the front by a Canadian aviator under circumstances which are now being investigated. By the arrest of four Bolshevik agitators yesterday, Colonel Ruggles's office broke up a Bolshevik plot directed to produce an uprising among the American troops early next month. The plot had apparently made no progress. POOLE File No. 861.00/3460 The Chargé in Russia (Poole) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] ARCHANGEL, December 17, 1918, 5 p. m. [Received December 18, 1.52 p. m.] 664. Local situation generally quiet and satisfactory. Announcement by the Allied command and embassies reported my No. 658, December 12, 7 p. m., seems to have had good effect, reassuring elements of the left. Vigor with which mutiny, reported in Embassy's telegram 654, December 11, 8 p. m., was handled, and the fact that executions were carried out entirely by Russians, has produced favorable effect; only thirteen were executed instead of thirty as originally reported. Bulk of soldiers have expressed themselves satisfied to be free of agitators; company designated for service at the front has again received its arms and went forward with apparently good morale; I have had no reports as yet concerning its further behavior. Foregoing to Paris also. POOLE CHAPTER III SOUTHEASTERN RUSSIA AND THE CAUCASUS Nationalist and anti-Bolshevik Movements: the Don Cossacks under Kaledin, the Southeastern Federation, the Trans-Caucasus, the Volunteer Army under Alexeev and Kornilov-Attitude of the American and Allied Governments toward "de facto" Political and Military Authorities File No. 861.00/734 No. 69 The Consul at Tiflis (Smith) to the Secretary of State TIFLIS, October 19, 1917. SIR: I have the honor to enclose herewith in duplicate copies of my despatch of even date to the Embassy on the political and military situation in this district. I have [etc.] [Enclosure] F. WILLOUGHBY SMITH The American Consul at Tiflis (Smith) to the American Ambassador (Francis) TIFLIS, October 19, 1917. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt last week of the Embassy's instruction of October 5, 1917, in reply to several requests made by this office in connection with the political and military situation in this district. In answer to my repeated requests for the Embassy's support in the reorganization of the army on this front by the transfer to it of Armenian and Georgian troops from the other fronts, I note that the Embassy considers this step one relating to internal affairs in which the Embassy can take no action. Though I am fully aware that my request under ordinary circumstances would not be fully in accord with the established policy of the United States, yet in view of the intensive German propaganda conducted here and throughout Russia and the great difficulties with which the Provisional Government has to contend, I believe it my duty to do all I can to counteract such propaganda and to advise and help both the military and civil authorities. In adopting this course I was guided by the President's message to Russia in which he states, as reported, that the United States is ready and willing to assist Russia against both her external and internal enemies. Without our active help, advice, and participation in the internal affairs of the country, it is difficult to imagine or hope for the reestablishment of order by next spring, particularly when the agents of the Central powers are most active in sowing discord and distrust both in the army and among the civil population. I found the authorities here at times so discouraged by the difficulties of the situation and the apparent lack of support from Petrograd that, if it had not been for the encouragement and support I was able to give them, they would |