File No. 763.72/7996
The Ambassador in France ( Sharp) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 6, 12.50 p.m.]
2855. Foreign Office has just sent me the texts of two joint telegrams from the American, British, French, and Italian Ministers at Jassy to their Governments and requests me to forward them to Washington.
Following is translation first telegram dated Jassy, December 3:
An emissary from Lenin to the Stavka telegraphed this morning to General Shcherbachev to offer him the general command of the Russian Armies laying stress on a cipher telegram alleged to have been received by the representatives of the Italian Army in Russia in support of claim that the Allied powers do not object to Russia making separate peace.
General Shcherbachev decided to decline this offer but in order to cover his responsibility as regards the Army he desires the Allied representatives at Jassy to confirm the declaration which has already been made to him by General Berthelot to the effect that the said telegram appears to be imaginary or to constitute forgery, that it is indubitably inconsistent with the decisions of our Governments.
After having made this declaration to General Shcherbachev, who made note of it, we called his most earnest attention to the urgent necessity for taking precautions to ward off a surprise prepared according to duly authenticated information by the Bolsheviks enrolled in the armies on the Roumanian front against the high command, the principal services, and which would also threaten the Royal Family, the Roumanian Government, and the foreign colonies.
Measures are being taken by Roumanian General Staff to discourage this attempt and if necessary to repress it with the greatest energies. However, to avoid this repression assuming the character of a conflict between Russians and Roumanians, it is essential that such Russian elements as are still reliable should be associated therewith. We have strongly insisted upon that point with General Shcherbachev in order that appropriate measures be taken.
In the course of conversation General Shcherbachev expressed the strictly confidential opinion that the immediate dispatch to Russia of an inter-Allied contingent would constitute at this time not only a material but a moral force of considerable effect. Our experience in regard to Russian troops and observation of the situation convince us that this opinion is well justified.
Following is translation second telegram dated December 4:
The President of the Council has communicated to us the following telegram which he has addressed to the Roumanian representatives accredited to the Allied Governments:
The Maximalists have absolute mastery over the two northern fronts and have occupied the Stavka.
[Page 457]Along the fronts, events are precipitating themselves, disintegration and disorder have reached their culminating point.
The Russian army corps on the Roumanian front have one after another concluded an armistice replacing those generals who did not lend themselves thereto by lieutenants.
The Russian Commander in Chief Dukhonin has surrendered to Krylenko.
Under these conditions General Shcherbachev has the alternative either of giving way to a Maximalist or taking part in the conclusion of a regular armistice to last until such time as the legal government to be elected shall establish the condition of peace.
According to his opinion this would be the only means of retaining the front and convincing the troops of the enemy’s bad faith but he desires to attempt this only with the consent of the Allies. In this question he would be in agreement with the Rada and would act as commanding the southwest and the Roumanian fronts.
Were Roumania to assume any other attitude the Russian Army in Moldavia would be transformed into a million enemies under the direction of the Maximalists, whose representative is Rakovski, thus placing the Roumanian Army, in front of which the Germans have already brought sixty fresh battalions, in the impossibility of maintaining any resistance.
Such a resistance would correspond with the destruction fatal for ourselves and without equivalent for our Allies in the event of a disordered and hostile retreat of the Russian Armies across Moldavia.
In any case our Allies should not form any illusions as regards Ukrainia and the south of Russia which can only lend assistance as long as a Russian front exists.
Mr. Bratianu having at the request of General Shcherbachev summoned us to give an immediate answer to the latter, in default of which he might be replaced from one moment to another by a commander named [by] Krylenko, we limited ourselves in order to gain time to leaving with him a copy of the following declaration.
The undersigned, not being vested with the necessary powers to undertake engagements in the premises in the name of their Governments, are requesting instructions by telegraph convinced that the Russian High Command will do all in its power to defend the cause of the Allies which is identical with the cause of liberty and democracy. They recognize and point out to their Governments the value of the considerations set forth by General Shcherbachev as well as the paramount interest of preventing the Maximalists seizing the southwest and Russo-Roumanian fronts. They acknowledge also with the President of the Council the grave dangers which in the present situation threaten the Roumanian Army.
Pray communicate urgently this telegram to the representatives at the conference of England, United States and Italy, and address to the Minister of France for himself and his colleagues the instructions of the Allied Governments.