File No. 763.72112/11086
[Enclosure—Extract]
Report on Activities Directed towards
Restricting Supplies to the Enemy from Northern
Russia
The work of restricting supplies to the enemy from northern
Russia was commenced about May 15, 1918. It will be remembered
that, at the time, the Bolsheviks were wavering whether to
maintain the pro-Ally sympathies of the Russian people or
whether the interests of the Russian revolution demanded
harmonious work with the Germans, which obviously would be
advantageous to the Germans as well. The success of the German
arms on the western front during the months of March, April, and
May apparently convinced the Bolsheviks, however, that Germany
represented a greater menace to the Soviet government than the
Allies did, and that sooner or later Germany, tempted by the
vast stores of materials and supplies in raw, semi and fully
manufactured state, would penetrate into the country beyond the
region already controlled by the Germans. With this theory in
mind, it was obvious to the Soviet government that Petrograd
would be the object of the prime and great thrust because of the
booty to be gained as well as the military and political
significance of the act.
Actuated by these fears, the Soviet government decided to
continue and in fact develop the evacuation of that city
(Petrograd)—the evacuation having been first commenced in
February 1918, before the Brest Litovsk peace was signed.
Allied representatives immediately offered their services and
experience to the Soviet authorities in Petrograd—the interests
of the Bolsheviks and the Allies coinciding at the time.
The following is a résumé of the
evacuation of Petrograd which was commenced on a broad scale
about May 15 and continued with varying intensity and with
constant interruptions, of minor or more serious nature, up to
August 1, when, because of apparent assurances made by the
Germans that no invasion of Soviet territory would take place,
the evacuation was stopped.
On August 1, when the evacuation was definitely abandoned, the
results were as follows:
|
Poods |
Shipped by waterways |
2,700,000 |
Shipped by rail |
7,800,000 |
Total |
10,500,000 |
[Page 162]
[or about 170,000 long tons] of material of
economic or military value, distributed roughly as follows:
|
|
Poods (Estimated) |
Copper, ingots, products, brass, tubing, plates,
rods, etc |
|
1,500,000 |
Lead, nickel, high-speed instrument steel,
ferro-alloys, etc |
|
800,000 |
Machinery, instruments, etc |
|
2,000,000 |
Rubber (raw and products such as tires,
etc.) |
|
1,200,000 |
War materials: |
|
|
Cartridges 50,000 cases |
} |
3,000,000 |
Guncotton |
Aluminum detonating time fuses for 3″ H. E. and
shrapnel 3,000,000 |
12″ naval guns—8 |
Field guns—110 |
Shells 3″—300,000—? [sic] |
Miscellaneous—Q. M. Supplies |
|
2,000,000 |
Total |
|
10,500,000 |
This represents about 85–90 per cent of all
valuable materials and supplies in Petrograd and immediate
industrial centers such as Sestroretsk (rifle factory), Okhta
(powder works), Sehlüsselburg (powder works).
Most of the shipments made by waterways have arrived at their
destinations, i. e., Volga towns, and consequently are now or
have been in the hands of the Czecho-Slovak troops. The
shipments by rail were more broadly distributed. The rubber
products, tires particularly, were shipped to Moscow where they
now remain despite repeatedly recurring reports to the effect
that such were shipped to Germany. The raw rubber went into the
interior along the Petrograd-Vologda-Perm railway but was
diverted to Yaroslavl. Much of this has been probably destroyed
by the heavy bombardment of the city. Considerable machinery and
artillery was sent to Perm. Large rail shipments were made to
Ekaterinburg.
The Government munitions and armament works have been dismantled
and the machinery scattered about Russia.
As an aggregate quantity, there is still considerable material in
the north of Russia but this is so scattered that it will be
almost next to impossible to assemble larger quantities. …
Summarized, Petrograd and adjoining district are stripped of
valuable materials and supplies. …