861.00/4717: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Commission to Negotiate Peace
2354. For the Secretary of State and McCormick. Following received from Peking June 19th. Is anything being done at Paris? See recent cable, same subject.
“The Consul at Irkutsk telegraphs as follows in substance referring to his previous telegrams regarding clash between military authorities and conflict with Czech soldiers. To avert grave consequences there is urgent necessity for sending Czechs home as soon as possible as they have been tried to the breaking point and are demoralized by various causes. Among these causes may be mentioned:
- 1.
- The conditions in which they have to live and fight:
- 2.
- The limit has been reached beyond which no nation is willing to fight the battles of another:
- 3.
- They are needed at home for the protection of their new republic:
- 4.
- The absence of news from home:
- 5.
- Their long demoralizing experience in the same camps and their present Bolshevik surrounding:
- 6.
- Failure of the Allies to take decisive measures in Russia:
- 7.
- American and other troops being sent home although they have not seen nearly as much fighting as the Czechs.
The present crisis has passed but the causes of the crisis remain and will remain until the Czechs are entirely removed from Siberia which should be done before the next cold weather sets in at the latest. The Bolshevik are on an active propaganda amongst them which should be allayed by immediate assurance of their withdrawal at no distant date.”
Further reports as follows:
“Following from Novo Nicolaevsk 265, June 12, 6 p.m. Reports received Omsk state that the division of Czechs left in Irawady [Irkutsk?] turned Bolsheviki, June 13th, deposed its officers and organized a Soviet. General Janin87 has left for Irkutsk.
Consul Thomson telegraphs that when Stevens passed through Irkutsk, June 9th, General Syrovy, Czech Commander, stated that in their desire to return home Czech soldiers had reached a point where he could no longer exercise control over them and if Czechs were not removed before autumn there was grave danger that Czech Army would take their cars and force their way to Bohemia through territory of Bolsheviki who would actually give all possible assistance to get Czechs out of Siberia. Harris.”
- Gen. Maurice Janin, of the French Army, supreme commander of the Czechoslovak Army.↩