861.00/5798: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Tenney) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:34 p.m.]
Following from [Harris at] Irkutsk has been sent to Tokyo, Vladivostok.
“490, December 1, 6 p.m. New Cabinet just formed seeking scapegoats for recent failures. In all probability some general will be held responsible for military defeat. Soukine apparently will be made answerable for failure of Allies to recognize Kolchak, as it is thought America has been and is friendly to Bolsheviki. Soukine is to be criticised for his strong American orientation, which has brought no definite results. He is also being criticised for his anti-Japanese policy.
Hoyer and Novitsky will be held accountable to [for] financial muddle as well as for their pro-American sympathy.
It seems that new Cabinet ministers are laboring under impression that America has Bolshevik leanings and I am informed that the immediate new policy will be to nurse Japanese influence.
Held long conference today with Tretiakoff, new Minister of Foreign Affairs. He desired me to thank the American Government for splendid assistance given by Red Cross units and railway engineers, and hopes that our Government will not change its attitude but continue this support and assistance as heretofore. Tretiakoff [stated] that new Cabinet would make its struggle with Bolshevism the main thing and would continue to fight with all the means at its disposal.
I would respectfully point out to the Department that this present moment is a very serious one for the reason that as matters now actually stand Bolshevism has triumphed in western Siberia and Japanese influence has penetrated to Lake Baikal. Owing to the grip of Japanese on Cossack atamans in Trans-Baikal, Japan is now the dominant factor in the Pacific section.
Just at this moment the [pro-] Japanese members apparently feel that Japan is in a position to help them. I am not prepared to state that they are ready to make any definite proposals or to ask assistance of the Japanese, but it is not unlikely that Japanese orientation is under headway. I shall do all in my power to cultivate good relations with this new Cabinet and trust that my efforts [to convince?] them that our Government is still greatly interested in Russian affairs [Page 451] will not be unsuccessful. On the other hand I would respectfully request the Department to carefully consider what may still be done to give economic and material help to Siberia and to assist if possible in suggesting some way out of the present financial difficulty.
Every one here is particularly interested in knowing what attitude the American Government will adopt in view of recent Bolshevik successes. Harris.[”]