861.00/5314: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Tenney) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:56 p.m.]
From [Harris at] Omsk.
403, September 30th, noon. Concerning declaration of inter-Allied military representatives to General Rozanoff in Vladivostok, Soukine has handed me the following which is a literal translation from the Russian text:
[“]Having become cognizant of the declaration made on the 26th of September of this year by the Inter-Allied Committee of Military Representatives to General Rozanoff, commander of the forces of the Priamur military district, demanding the evacuation of the Russian forces from the Fortress of Vladivostok, the Russian Government request you to bring to the notice of Government of the United States of America that the said declaration of the inter-Allied [Page 524] military command is outside of the sphere of their jurisdiction and is not compatible with that conception of the sovereignty of the Russian Government which the powers solemnly promised to respect when they sent their troops to Russia.
Being unwilling to suppose that the present action of the Allied representatives in the Far East has taken place in accordance with instructions to the Legation from the Allied Powers the Russian Government makes the most categorical protest regarding the line of action of the said representatives and the offensive demands made by them to Russian command.
The Russian command by order of the Supreme Ruler will to the last uphold the rights and dignity of Russia. The attitude assumed by the inter-Allied military committee is in such obvious antagonism with the assurances just received by the Russian Government from the powers regarding their support of Kolchak’s government and their antipathy to all elements opposing this Government that it has caused the Committee [Kolchak?] Government profound astonishment.
The Russian Government troops concerned were brought to Vladivostok to uphold the authority of the Government against all criminal attempts which threatened the peace of the country and which were treasonable towards the army which has brilliantly fulfilled its duty at the front. In its actions the Russian Government does not consider itself bound by the decisions of the local Allied representatives, inasmuch as the supreme authority in the Vladivostok Fortress region can in no wise be considered as having passed over to foreign hands, whereas [since] the functions of the Allied troops, as may be gathered from numerous declarations of the Allied Powers, are limited to the defense of the railway and to affording help. Presuming that the questions arising out of events which have occurred should form the subject of an inquiry by the authorized representatives of the powers at Omsk conjointly with the Russian Government the latter having considered the situation at a session of the Council of Ministers on the 29th of September has approved the measures taken by General Rozanoff.”
Being entirely without news concerning the situation in Vladivostok I am not able to offer any comment. [Harris.]