763.72119/3340
The British Chargé (Barclay) to the Acting Secretary of State 31
Memorandum
His Britannic Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires presents his compliments to the Acting Secretary of State and has the honour to inform him, [Page 59] by direction of His Majesty’s Government, that the British Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean has reported that the German Vice-Admiral and a Staff Officer came to Constantinople on December 28th in order to beg him to impress again on the Admiralty the increasing difficulty of evacuating German troops by land through Ukraine, representing that the troops are now altogether out of hand and will not obey either officers or their own Committee; further, that the railways in Ukraine are now controlled by Bolshevists and Petlura bands who deprive the troops of clothing, food and arms. The troops apparently refuse to fight even to keep the railways clear for their own passengers, endeavouring to secure this by, negotiating with local Revolutionary leaders, or else in some cases joining the revolutionary band.
The German Vice-Admiral stated that eighteen trains are at present held up at Snamenka, and some have even been sent Eastwards. Eight thousand troops are at present at Nicolaieff, and it is obviously inadvisable in the present circumstances to increase that number. The British Commander in Chief has accordingly stopped sending German troops from Constantinople to Nicolaieff at the German Vice-Admiral’s request.
It is confirmed by a report received from a British man of war that evacuation from Nicolaieff has not been possible since December 25th. The British Commander in Chief, therefore, considers the transport of German troops by the sea route necessary, in order to prevent the influx of recruits, arms and ammunition to the Bolshevists.
As the British Commander-in-Chief requested an early decision, and as it otherwise would have been necessary to continue to retain the German troops in Constantinople area, the Commander-in-Chief has been authorized to instruct the German Vice-Admiral to hand over all German tonnage for use under his direction, in order to meet the emergency which has arisen.
- Repeated to the Commission to Negotiate Peace in Department’s telegram No. 232, Jan. 14, 1919, 8 p.m.↩