Esthonian independence, such dangerous internal conditions will arise that Esthonian Government cannot run the risk of not dissolving Yudenitch army. The many reasons for this are given in detail. Although financial aid, flour, and de facto recognition from the United States and Denikin and Kolchak might temporarily bridge over difficulties, I believe all future cooperation between Northwestern Army and Esthonia hopeless unless former reorganized under Allied leaders and considerable support given both Esthonia and Yudenitch. Only alternative to now hinder dissolution Yudenitch armies and retain elements future divisions is to transport soldiers to another front. Coded and sent for Commissioner Gade. HURLEY 861.48/1050: Telegram The Vice Consul at Viborg (Imbrie) to the Secretary of State VIBORG, December 15, 1919. [Received December 16, 5: 51 a.m.] Yudenitch requests that Viborg stores with exception of 4,000 tons, about one week's supply for Petrograd, be sent Reval at once as his army and refugees in great distress. Last of American Relief at Reval confirms need of food and advises sending Viborg stores, also states that no American Relief stores expected at Reval. Request immediate instructions. IMBRIE 861.48/1035: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Commissioner at Riga (Gade) WASHINGTON, December 15, 1919, 5 p.m. There are now at Viborg in charge of American Vice Consul Imbrie over 30,000 tons of flour and small quantities other foodstuffs forwarded during Yudenich's drive against Petrograd. Miller reports about thousand tons flour at Reval. Viborg stores are considered property Russians but like Reval stores can only be disposed of by Russians under our control and with our consent. It is the Department's opinion that both Viborg and Reval stores should continue to be used in consonance with the original general intention, namely that of assisting Yudenich. There are numbers of refugees in Esthonia from the regions temporarily occupied by Yudenich in his recent unsuccessful advance. The remnants of his troops and the sick and wounded of his army are in Esthonia. It is believed, therefore, that the Viborg stocks should be available as needed for the support of all three categories and it is immaterial whether this support is administered directly by the remaining Yudenich authorities to persons having a moral claim on them or indirectly by Esthonian institutions which have assumed care of such dependents. As senior representative of State Department in the Baltic you will carry out Department's desires cooperating with Imbrie who is informed and Miller, Hoover's Child Fund representative at Reval. LANSING 861.48/1050: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Vice Consul at Viborg (Imbrie) WASHINGTON, December 19, 1919, 3 p.m. Your 165, December 15th. Department believes Viborg stores should be sent to Reval at once for relief Yudenitch army and refugees or such other port as Gade may deem best in view of possible Bolshevik advance. Your 167, 16th,82 repeated to Gade. LANSING 861.48/1061: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Commissioner at Riga (Gade) WASHINGTON, December 31, 1919, 2 p.m. Your 320, December 25, 10 a.m.82 Miller, Reval, telegraphs that due to difficulty transshipping food supplies from Viborg to Reval, he desires to use 1,000 tons now at Reval for general and army relief. Department sees no objection thereto, and if you concur, so instruct Miller. LANSING 861.00/6040: Telegram The Commissioner at Riga (Gade) to the Secretary of State RIGA, January 1, 1920, 6 p. m. [Received 10:45 p.m.] 55. Military representatives of Esthonia inform armistice been arranged between Esthonia and Bolsheviks to take effect January 3, 10:30 in the morning. GADE 82 2 Not printed. CHAPTER V SOUTHERN RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE Military and Political Situation in Southern Russia as Reported by American Observers 125.677/5a: Telegram The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Russia (Poole)1 WASHINGTON, January 25, 1919, 6 p.m. 461. Your 762, January 20.2 Consul William Jenkins with Randolph, Doolittle, Lehrs and Burri, is proceeding Odessa to open office and keep in touch matters South Russia. Smith to Tiflis. For your confidential information Smith intends resign after arrival Tiflis. POLK 861.00/3854: Telegram The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of State PARIS, February 14, 1919, 2 p.m. [Received February 14, 1:08 p.m.] 730. By direction of Ammission, field party left Paris for Odessa, February 12th, traveling via Rome and Constantinople, with orders to study and report on political, economic and military conditions in such parts of southern Russia and the Caucasus as its members may be able to visit. It is understood that, though every effort will be made to gather trustworthy information on the Bolshevik situation as on all other Russian affairs, no member of the Mission shall attempt to establish official or personal relations with Bolshevik organizations or individuals. Headquarters will be at Odessa and it is proposed that officers acquainted with the languages visit Bessarabia, Ukraine, Crimea, the Don provinces and the Caucasus. Communication will be kept by wireless via Salonica and by such mail facilities as are available through British, French and local authorities and will also be maintained with the United States Military Attaché at Bucharest and with Commissioner at Constantinople. A naval-communication party of five officers and six men 1 At Archangel. 2 Not printed. 750 is accompanying the Mission in order to handle wireless and cable telegraphy as well as coding and ciphering. The party will be in charge of Lieutenant Colonel E. F. Riggs, former military attaché, Petrograd, and following are other members of Mission excluding naval-communication party: Captains William R. Berry, James Steinberg, Ulysses M. Bachman, Simon Reisler, First Lieutenants Norman Whitehouse and H. H. Khachadoorian, Second Lieutenants Copley Amory, Jr., Evangelos J. Stamoules, and John H. Honore [Hynes], Mr. Benjamin Burgess Moore, Sergeant W. A. English, Corporal L. H. Wolf, Privates Samuel Weiss and Clement C. Cronin, stenographers, and Privates L. E. Boland and Walter Nichols, orderlies. AMERICAN] MISSION Paris Peace Conference 184.016/33: Telegram 21. Admiral Bristols to the Commission to Negotiate Peace CONSTANTINOPLE, March 1, 1919, 2: 40 p.m. [Received in Paris March 3, 3:20 a.m.] "For Captain Royall Tyler [from Riggs]. Whole party arrived Constantinople. Expect to leave here in a few days. Owing to difficulties of transportation have sub-divided into three parties going direct to Odessa, Ekaterinodar and Tiflis. I am accompanying Odessa party and will visit the other two in turn. Lieut. Colonel E. F. Riggs, Chief of Mission." BRISTOL Paris Peace Conference 184.01602/3: Telegram The Chief of the Mission to Southern Russia (Riggs) to the Commission to Negotiate Peace ODESSA, March 15, 1919, 2 p.m. [Received in Paris March 19, 2:20 a.m.] Food situation here exceedingly serious in the town of Odessa, now that the Kherson-Nikolaieff grain stores are cut off. Prices very high, money practically worthless, and every sort of speculation being carried on to an extraordinary extent. Only hope for treating bad situation and best possible anti-Bolsheviki propaganda appears to be the speedy assistance Allied food supplies and merchandise together with adequate personnel with authority to 'Adm. Mark L. Bristol, commanding U. S. naval forces in Turkey, was appointed High Commissioner of the United States at Constantinople on Aug. 12, 1919. Of the Secretariat of the Commission to Negotiate Peace. prevent speculation. Secondarily, the Allied Governments should come to an immediate agreement which will put an end to the present unfortunate position, in which the French authorities [are] backing the Petlioura government who are still on bad terms with the Denikine specially now, while the British Government, who consider perhaps with reason that the former weak Petlioura government is nothing but an advance guard of Bolshevikism, are backing the Denikine government. Cases of armed conflict between the Volunteers and Petlioura government have occurred but are apparently now being controlled by the French. A[MERICAN] M[ISSION] RIGGS 861.00/4093: Telegram The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of State PARIS, March 17, 1919, 2 a.m. 1189. Following from [Jenkins at] Odessa. 1. March 14, 5 p.m. General picture southern Russia today portrays the following: Bessarabia is occupied by Roumanian troops under French command. They have crossed Dniester at Bene [Bender] and have taken the town of Tiraspol and Razdelnaia, thus opening railroad from Odessa to Galatz. Thence the line of the Odessa district extends east to the north of Bolshoi Buyalik through Berezovka to the west of Nicolaef and then directly south to the Black Sea. The French general d'Anselme is in supreme command of the district which has been today declared to be in a state of siege. He has at his disposal half a French division as well as nearly two Greek divisions. Reenforcements are arriving and are expected to total one army [corps] of five divisions. The Volunteer Army of Denikine is commanded in this district by General Sannikoff and numbers approximately 7,000, whose operations are restricted by the French to the city of Odessa with the exception of three squadrons at Berezovka. There is also half a French division stationed [at Tabriz,] in the Sebastopol region. Kherson was occupied March 10 and Nicolaef March 12 by Ataman [Grigor]ieff, formerly with Petlyura but now operating independently. He had approximately 2,000 Bolshevik troops and ten [irregular] pillaging bands numbering from 10,000 to 15,000. Bolshevik territory has been extended Kiev southwesterly to Letichef in Podolia, thence southeast through Olgopol to Nicolaef, including the towns of Vinnitza and Voznesensk. The territory to the west of this line and north of Bessarabia is occupied by Petlyura, whose present headquarters are at Zhmerinka. |