861.00/3843: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Davis ) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 6:20 p.m.]
899. Your 4278 of January 28, 7 p.m. Several frank conversations have failed to elicit from the Foreign Office any allusions to defective morale of British troops and officers at Archangel but considerable perturbance was expressed as to the present military situation and I understand that the British forces there are to be augmented by from two to three thousand men to be sent from Murmansk.
Rumors which have reached me from various sources regarding apparent errors in military strategy, friction between the British forces and the French and American troops respectively, intoxication among the British forces and deficiencies in the British service of supply as regards food, clothing and ammunition, were recently confidentially confirmed by a wounded American machine-gun sergeant from the American forces at Archangel now in London who, however, quite properly declined to mention specific instances or officers. Am[erican] mission informed, number 53, February 13, 2 p.m.