File No. 861.00/2386
Statement issued by the Georgian Information Bureau
[Received July 30.]
Georgia and Transcaucasia
For the last three months the news from this important bridgehead, from Europe to Asia, has been of a most confusing nature: firstly, because the telegraphic lines of communication are controlled by the Bolsheviks and the Turks; and secondly through the ignorance of the press correspondents on this particular subject. For those who know what is going on, it is amazing to read in the British press announcements of an entirely operatic character, which are not compatible with the dignity and seriousness of the political situation. Several names are confused. One hears announcements about “Caucasus,” “Caucasia,” “Ciscaucasia,” “Transcaucasia,” and Georgia.
Before going further it is necessary to mention the correct names. The whole area of the Caucasus, situated between the Black and Caspian Seas, is divided by the chain of the Caucasian Mountains into two distinct parts: North Caucasia and Transcaucasia. In the North Caucasus the districts of Terek and Daghestan form a mountaineers’ [Page 635] republic. They have declared themselves independent and claim the entire area of North Caucasus, the capital of the new republic being Vladikavkaz.
This claim is not recognized by the Kuban Cossacks who, on their part, claim the entire territory of North Caucasus and have constituted a separate republic, together with the Don Cossacks, with the capital at Ekaterinodar. The head of this Cossack republic, General Krasnov, asked the commander of the German troops in Ukraine to cooperate with him against the Bolsheviks. Whilst General von Richhorn seems quite ready to accept the invitation, the German Ambassador in Moscow, Count Mirbach, seems to be against it. It is also reported that General Kornilov, with some Cossacks, is in North Caucasus organizing an attack against the Bolsheviks. The Caucasus is the more interesting as there are huge quantities of grain stored in that country which the Central powers would try to secure for themselves and with the capture of the entire Black Sea Fleet this operation seems to be quite probable.
In Transcaucasia, after the appearance of the Bolsheviks in Petrograd, a separate state was formed consisting of three nationalities: Georgians, Tatars, and Armenians, It was a federal republic with the capital in Tiflis and a national army consisting of Georgians and Armenians.
As is well known, the Bolsheviks at the Brest Litovsk conference ceded the large districts of Batum and Kars to Turkey behind the back of the Transcaucasian government. This was not recognized by the Transcaucasian government, which government mobilized the army in order to prevent Turkish invasion of the provinces. Being entirely isolated from Allied assistance, after stubborn fighting they lost Batum and Kars, which Turkey occupied. After this, Turkey offered to send delegates for peace negotiations, but the negotiations were broken off as the Transcaucasian government would not agree to the terms proposed by Turkey. Fighting was resumed and the Turks penetrated into the eastern part of Transcaucasia where they joined hands with the Tatars, who broke away from Transcaucasia and came under the influence of Turkey. At this stage Germany intervened and invited the Transcaucasian government to send delegates to Batum for negotiations. After these negotiations the Transcaucasian government, which consisted only of Georgians and Armenians, was compelled to accept the loss of Kars and Batum districts but would not agree to abandon the important port of Batum, on the Black Sea, chief outlet of Transcaucasia. Germany and Turkey agreed to return Batum, but suddenly Turkey made a new claim to the Sukhum district on the Black Sea. This was prevented by the concentration of Georgian troops in that town. By the occupation [Page 636] of the Kars and Batum districts and by the breaking away of the Tatars, the only territory remaining in Transcaucasia free of enemy occupation was Georgia, inhabited by Christian Georgians, and on 26th May the Georgian Diet assembled in Tiflis and declared independence of Georgia.
It is rumored that Turkey has demanded that the Georgian government should send delegates to Constantinople for peace negotiations, and it is further declared that a peace treaty with Turkey has been signed, although nothing is known as to the terms. It is quite evident that Turkey, having lost Mesopotamia, Arabia, and Palestine, is determined to compensate herself at the expense of the Georgians and Armenians. This intention is very much dis[ap]proved by the conservative press of Berlin.
Independent Georgia, after being stripped of her fairest provinces by Turkey, comprises 40,000 square miles of territory, with the capital in Tiflis. The government of independent Georgia is republican, and the Prime Minister is Mr. I. Ramishvilli, member of the First Duma.
It is obvious that, under some pretext, the Turks and Germans will make entry into the country in order to dominate it in the same way as they have done in Ukraine. Dr. Paul Rohrbach announced some weeks ago that, through domination of Ukraine and Georgia, Germany hoped to obtain the necessary raw materials and strategic communications towards the middle East. In addition to this, the Turks have penetrated northern Persia. It is quite certain that “sick man” is not in a position to revive his ramshackle empire and at best, it can only continue its wretched existence as a colony of the Central powers.
It is very deplorable that Persia is in a state of decay and therefore is not capable of preventing various surgery experiments which Turkey is making on her territory. Without outside Allied pressure further penetration on the part of the Central powers and Turkey will be continued far into the depths of Turkestan.
According to a Stockholm telegram, an unsuccessful attempt has been made on the life of Mr. A. Chenkelli, Foreign Minister of Georgia, in Tiflis; a bomb was thrown by a Turkish agent who was arrested. Mr. Chenkelli was a Georgian member of the former Duma and offered great resistance to the Turkish Government in negotiations.
It is further communicated that the Georgian diplomatic delegation has arrived at Berlin in order to settle the conditions of the Georgian state with the Central powers. Constantinople has been proposed by the Central powers as a place for conference. On 19th June, thirty-two Georgian and Armenian delegates arrived in Constantinople [Page 637] from Transcaucasia. The leader of the Georgian delegation is Mr. Gegechkori, the former Prime Minister, and the leader of the Armenian delegation is Mr. Aharonian. This delegation is going to attend a special conference with the Central powers.
It is obvious that the Central powers will try to create in Transcaucasia as favorable conditions for themselves as they have in Ukraine.
Although help from the Allies seems to be remote, it is at any rate the duty of the British press to follow matters up very closely and to give as correct information to the public as possible under the circumstances. In doing this it is necessary not to make mistakes in the geographical names and to study the maps as closely as possible.
It is once more evident that the center of gravity in the eastern contest between the British Empire and Central powers is Transcaucasia and Georgia, which countries are entirely isolated from immediate contact with the Allied forces and therefore left to the mercy of the Central powers. This is the more clear as, according to a recent message from Tiflis, the Turkish Government is demanding the disarmament of Georgian and Armenian troops. Should this plan succeed, Transcaucasia will be left entirely undefended. The Turkish occupation of Tabriz provides them with the best base for operations in Transcaucasia, and the deplorable state of affairs in Persia is a further convenience to them.
On the face of all these happenings it is very remarkable that the Bolsheviks have surrendered various economic concessions to the Central powers, which gives Germany excuses for penetrating into the middle East. In this way, Germany is gradually completing her scheme of threatening India and Afghanistan along the road Berlin-Constanta-Batum-Krasnovoosk-Kushk and through Erivan to Tabriz.