File No. 861.00/2261
The Chargé in China ( MacMurray ) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 13, 10.36 p.m.]
General Horvat, manager of the Chinese Eastern Railway, having proceeded to Grodekovo, west of Nikolsk, on the 9th instant, issued a proclamation declaring himself the head of a new governmental organization whose program included the following purposes:
- (1)
- Abrogation of all decrees issued by Bolsheviks;
- (2)
- Reestablishment of judicial and administrative organizations and organs of local administration;
- (3)
- Equality of all citizens before the law and safeguarding of civil rights and liberties;
- (4)
- Universal suffrage;
- (5)
- Entire resumption of all treaties with the Allied and neutral powers and of political and economic obligations;
- (6)
- Reorganization of the army on the basis of rigorous discipline divorced from politics;
- (7)
- Reestablishment of the right of property;
- (8)
- Solution of agrarian question by the Constituent Assembly;
- (9)
- Reestablishment of industry by means of the abolition of socialization and nationalization of enterprises simultaneously with the satisfaction of the needs of the workmen;
- (10)
- Development of public instruction;
- (11)
- Religious freedom.
Pending formal recognition by the Allied powers, he requests their favorable consideration and immediate support.
In communicating to me last night the full text of this proclamation Russian Minister requested that you should be asked to make known at least the substance of it to the Russian Ambassador at Washington.
The British, French and Japanese Consuls at Vladivostok have telegraphed that the attempted establishment of a government by Horvat is generally resented there and would probably lead to further dissension in Siberia, French Consul adding that Horvat has antagonized Czechs by attempting to take advantage of the situation created by them and by refusing them passage through Manchuria to assist Czechs in western Siberia.
[Page 278]At a meeting of the representatives of Great Britain, Japan, France and Russia, which I attended on the understanding that I was without instructions which would enable me to participate in the decisions taken, it was agreed this morning that the Russian Minister should communicate the following telegram in the names of the three colleagues specified:
The representatives of Great Britain, Japan, and France, being in receipt of telegrams from their respective Consuls at Vladivostok pointing out the danger of civil strife which may result from the proclamation of General Horvat and which may prevent the passage of the Czechs through Manchuria, which is all important and has a purely military object directed against the Germans, advise General Horvat to withdraw his proclamation and return to Harbin so as to facilitate the passage of the Czechs over the Chinese Eastern Railway. The Ministers beg General Horvat to be good enough to favor them with a prompt reply to their communication.
The following is the substance of a telegram from Harbin Consulate dated 10th, received to-day:
First announcement of the provisional government of autonomous Siberia, dated July 2, received at Harbin on the 9th, stated that that government, which was elected in January by the Siberian provincial Duma, will establish authority and order and military forces to clear the Far East of Bolsheviks; it hopes to accomplish this without foreign intervention and promises that, thereafter, provincial Duma will be assembled which in turn will convoke all Siberian Constituent Assembly. Announcement signed by P. Derber and others. A cabinet has been formed and recruiting of volunteers begun. City Duma, on June 30, resolved to acknowledge this government of autonomous Siberia.
The above is being sent to Tokyo.