File No. 861.00/2666
The Consul at Tifl (Smith), temporarily in Stockholm, to the Secretary of State1
[Received September 12, 4.20 a.m.]
Owing to fighting in the North Caucasus and Don I was unable to communicate from Moscow with Montesanto or with other agents in that district. Bolshevik reports indicate the capture by Kuban Cossacks and Alexeev of most of the Kuban Province. Fighting between Cossacks and Red Guard was reported by one of my agents last month in the locality west of Baku on Caspian. The Soviet of Don Cossacks is endeavoring to deprive Krasnov of his command or have him openly side with Allies. Have encouraged Soviet to take this attitude and have started pro-Ally propaganda in Don region. Recommend that direct relations be established with the Don, Orenburg, Kuban, and Terek Cossacks and with Alexeev and Dutov for the purpose of bringing them more closely together under one command. This would appear to be essential to secure left wing of Czecho-Slovaks and establish order in one of the principal agricultural and industrial regions of Russia. Owing to the difficulty of securing team work from Russian political parties and leaders if left to themselves the Department might consider it advisable to [Page 639] instruct its representatives in Russia to come in closer contact with the leaders of the several parties, not for the purpose of shaping the internal policies of the country, but to bring about such a union between the parties as to enable them to work out a common program and prevent personal interests or ambitions from seriously interfering therewith. This work has heretofore been totally neglected by American and British representatives in European Russia. Owing to French activities a small success in this direction was obtained in the formation of the V ozrozhdenie. This success was however limited owing to the uncertainty heretofore existing in regard to the policy of the Allies in Russia. This lack of union and individual intrigues and ambitions have led to the failure of every effort heretofore made to establish a government in Russia unless the Bolshevik Soviets can be called such. The latter however is a mere dictatorship of blood and terror upheld by mercenary bands and the predatory instincts of that part of the population which has nothing to lose. It has not taken root among the mass of the Russian peasants.
- Sent via the Legation in Sweden (No. 2815).↩