861.00/3658
The British Chargé (Barclay) to the Acting Secretary of State
Memorandum
His Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires presents his compliments to the Acting Secretary of State and has the honour to inform him, by direction of His Majesty’s Government that on January 3rd a memorandum and telegram from the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs were communicated to the Foreign Office by the Japanese Ambassador in London reporting that in addition to the 13,000 men who had already been withdrawn from Siberia, the Japanese Government intended to withdraw a further 34,000 men, and stating that they had sent instructions to their representatives at Omsk and Vladivostok to use their best endeavours to bring about a reconciliation between General Semenoff and Admiral Kolchak in cooperation with their French and British colleagues.
His Majesty’s Government have communicated to the Japanese Ambassador a memorandum in reply explaining their attitude with regard to the dispute between General Semenoff and Admiral Kolchak. In this memorandum His Majesty’s Government point out that their sole interest is the safety of the forces operating in Western Siberia and while they have no wish to enter into the merits of the dispute as between the two above mentioned officers, the fact remains that the inability of those two gentlemen to arrive at an understanding has practically resulted in the suspension of communication on the Siberian Railways and His Majesty’s Government cannot but contemplate such a state of affairs with the gravest misgiving in view of the aggressive attitude adopted by the Bolshevist forces. Reports received from His Majesty’s Representatives in the Far East attributing this interference to General Semenoff are too circumstantial to permit of His Majesty’s Government doubting their authenticity and in the circumstances His Majesty’s Government feel that a risk of disaster is involved, the consequences of which they do [Page 463] not care to contemplate, unless General Semenoff is immediately compelled to cease his present activities and to assist to the utmost of his power in facilitating communication with the forces at the front. In the opinion of His Majesty’s Government the Japanese Government will realize the vital issues involved and it is felt that the Japanese Government can be relied on to take such further measures as they alone are in a position to do to bring further pressure to bear on General Semenoff.
In the memorandum to the Japanese Ambassador His Majesty’s Government have expressed their high appreciation of the effort already made by the Japanese Government and have stated that in order to bring about a reconciliation between the two leaders the British representatives on the spot are doing and will do everything in their power to assist.