File No. 861.00/2223
Admiral Knight to the Secretary of the Navy (Daniels)
[Copy received from Navy Department, June 29.]
Members of Czecho-Slovak National Council have to-day visited me and desire to communicate to me and through me to the United States Government the present situation of the Czecho-Slovak military forces in Siberia and attitude of those forces and of the National Council towards the Soviet government of Russia and the Austrian-German prisoners of war. Intelligence from the westward and central Siberia is not complete but it is understood that Czechs have control Siberian Railroad from Penza to Nizhneudinsk with force of approximately 40,000. Their relatively small emigration [echelon] at Nizhneudinsk is opposed by perhaps 20,000 Austrian-German prisoners armed by Soviet government and commanded by German officers. The railroad eastward is held by mixed force, prisoners and Red Guard, but with prisoners heavily predominating. There are several thousand at Chita and the same at Khabarovsk and Nikolsk. The indications now are that prisoners instead of acting with and under Soviets are out of hand and compelling obedience.
The Soviets have been overthrown in region controlled by Czechs and largely as result of their presence, but without their active assistance, and replaced by a new government wholly Russian but anti-Bolshevik and made up largely of delegates elected some months ago to Constitutional Convention to [by] local dumas and zemstvos. This government appears to be supported by large majority of people including entire peasant population. All observers coming over Amur line recently say that popular sentiment whenever it finds free expression is strongly anti-Bolshevik and that Soviet power from Nizhneudinsk eastward would fall at once if it were not supported by prisoners of war. As stated by the Czech National Council all the foregoing is fully confirmed by Major Drysdale, American attaché at Peking, and Langdon Warner,1 who arrived last night from Mariinsk. Drysdale who has heretofore minimized danger from war prisoners admits they have now gone beyond control Soviets. Czech forces Vladivostok have received orders from Commander at Novo Nikolaevsk to proceed westward to open and hold railroad and join forces from the westward to [for] attack on Austro-German forces Irkutsk.
The object of the National Council in visiting me was not only to lay out situation before me for transmission to my Government but put out the following questions: [Page 231]
- 1.
- In view of many difficulties involved for the Czech forces in making their way to Irkutsk, holding the road open behind them and finally cooperating efficiently with their western detachments, they ask to be informed whether help can be expected from the other Allied powers whose ally they consider themselves to be and in whose interest as well as in their own they consider that they are acting against the many thousands of armed Austro-German prisoners in Siberia.
- 2.
- If they succeed with or without help in obtaining control of the Siberian Railroad from Vladivostok to the Volga they ask to be informed whether the Allies desire that they continue to hold the road with the expectation that the Allies will join them in the establishment of a new eastern front.
- 3.
- If they remain in Russia to fight on a new eastern front they ask to be informed minimum [whether] this force will be accepted by the Allies as the equivalent of fighting on the western front and as entitling them to same consideration when terms of peace are finally agreed upon as if they had proceeded to the western front in accordance with their original agreement with the French Government.
The foregoing questions were submitted by the members of the council in the finest spirit of loyalty and with no intimation of intent to abate in any degree their determination to fight on one front or the other, whatever the reply to their question might be. They appeared doubtful as to possibility of working their way back to Irkutsk against the combined opposition of Bolsheviki and prisoners without Allied help, but am convinced they will attempt it if necessary and I should feel confident of their success if it were not for the ease with which bridges and tunnels can be destroyed.
I stated that I was not in a position to reply to any of their questions but that I should take pleasure to comply with the request to forward them to my Government. It is my understanding that the same questions will be submitted to the other Allied Governments through naval or consular channels. I request, if it is not considered advisable to reply to these questions, that I be so informed. Acknowledge.
- Vice Consul at Harbin.↩