File No. 361.61/4306
The Ambassador in Russia ( Francis) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 24, 8.32 p.m.]
2132. Kalpashnikov, colonel of the Russian Army, was arrested yesterday by a party composed of Bolshevik soldiers, Red Guards and sailors and taken to fortress where he is now confined. Kalpashnikov brought to Russia from America one hundred or more automobiles for the Russian Red Cross which that organization transferred to American-Rumanian Red Cross with Kalpashnikov as manager on Anderson’s request.1 Anderson’s telegrams to Kalpashnikov were sent through the Embassy and delivered to American Red Cross, Petrograd, for Kalpashnikov. Telegram of December 5 received on 7th and delivered to Red Cross December 14 for Kalpashnikov. directed shipment of all available automobiles with the greatest possible expedition to Rostov and informed Kalpashnikov that American Ambassador would provide necessary funds to Es. 1,000 [100,000?] and get reimbursement by draft on Red Cross Society, Washington. I had never authorized such statement nor did Kalpashnikov ever apply for any money. Order for shipment was countermanded six days later, original order and countermand were desired to be forwarded to Kalpashnikov, consequently no efforts ever made to ship to Rostov. Trotsky procured correspondence from Kalpashnikov’s apartment and after refusing to listen to Robins’s explanation thereof, because Robins could not state was sent by me, made speech last night criticizing French and British Ambassadors and attacked me charging I had been plotting to aid Kaledin. This absolutely false and wholly without foundation. Trotsky said:
The Ambassador will now have to break his golden silence. An Ambassador who does such is no more an Ambassador but an adventurer and the heavy hand of the revolution will deal with him.
Much interest and excitement concerning Trotsky attack. I am making statement to press which shall forward en clair denying all connection or knowledge of Kaledin movement stating your instructions [Page 322] are definite and emphatic not to interfere in internal affairs stating I had observed same scrupulously and enforced same to extent of my authority and explaining in detail Anderson’s correspondence with Kalpashnikov. Trotsky utterances exceedingly offensive and my reply thereto unusually mild but such course appears wiser at moment, his object evidently being to maintain Soviet government in power.
- Lieut. Col. Henry W. Anderson, in charge of the American Red Cross Commission to Rumania, at this time in Jassy.↩