861.00/5933: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Tenney) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 19, 6:43 p.m.]
[From Harris at Irkutsk:]
“513. December 18th, 5 p.m. Admiral Kolchak now at Krasnoyarsk has addressed telegram to all foreign representatives in Irkutsk stating in substance that the Czech commandant at Krasnoyarsk station has seized the locomotives of his four or five trains and is preventing his movement to Irkutsk. Kolchak accuses the Czechs of cruelty in leaving women and children to suffer and in doing other deeds of violence which completely hamper movements of his army. The Czechs are taking this action in order to insure their own evacuation.
Foreign representatives here are informally asking General Syrovy26 now in Irkutsk to use his good offices in assisting the rapid movement of Admiral Kolchak and his staff to Irkutsk.
From my conversation with Tretiakoff27 this morning it was evident that he is apprehensive as to the future conduct of the Czechs and he asked the Japanese to send at least 2,000 soldiers to this city to keep the peace in case of disturbance. He is of the opinion that their mere presence here would have beneficial effect.
I would respectfully point out that this action of the Czechs in Krasnoyarsk is preventing the evacuation of three American Red [Page 231] Cross trains which are stuck some place between Krasnoyarsk and Novo Nikolaievsk. A week has passed since I have heard from either Vice Consuls Ray or Hansen who are on two divisions of American Red Cross trains some place between Novo Nikolaievsk and Taiga. Telegraphic communication with them has been broken. If anything happens in this respect the Czechs will be to blame for it, for the reason that they are apparently seeking their own evacuation without thought to other foreigners who may still be to their rear. There are 30,000 Czech troops concentrated between Krasnoyarsk and Taiga and this represents a force amply sufficient to thoroughly organize and protect the evacuation of all foreigners in that whole district. The trouble does not lie with the officers and officials but plainly with the soldiers whose morale and discipline have so deteriorated that the commands of their superiors are disregarded. As General Gaida by his own acts succeeded in thoroughly disgracing himself before leaving Siberia the feeling is gaining ground that the whole Czech Army may yet by some untoward act thoroughly undo all the good work which they accomplished last year. I have hopes that the Allied representatives here will be able to smooth out the situation.
Kolchak has the [apparent omission] with the consul. Harris.”