860 E.00/12: Telegram

The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Acting Secretary of State

2515. Major Lawrence Martin, General Staff, United States Army, who has been traveling through Galician Ukraine and into edge of Volhynia reports as follows on political and economic conditions there up to beginning of Polish offensive May 14th:

“Government under Petlura and Directory of Five is competent, effectual and operating broadly for commercial, agricultural and educational reconstruction. Recent proposal of Rakovsky28 for coalition of Bolsheviks of Kiev with Galicians against Poles and Roumanians not even considered by Directory. Sufficient food, sugar to spare. Agricultural [sic] unusually satisfactory. Epidemics terrible and no facilities for combating them. Poles and Jews in Galicia well treated by Ukrainians. No German officers there and Austrian officers chiefly residents of Galicia. Peasants desire to fight Bolsheviki. All classes wish an independent Ukraine.

Believe Ukrainians distinct enough from Great Russians to make this desirable and am confident Ukraine will make strong stable government as country is unusually rich in soil and minerals and in commercial opening through Odessa. Regard Petlura in Volhynia and Holubowitz in Galicia with their ministers as capable of organizing the country satisfactorily. Convinced that to divide Galician Ukraine between Poland and Roumania would endanger future of both countries and imperil peace of Europe, but that as the portions of Ukraine under Petlura and Holubowitz are absolutely non-Bolshevik we can best drive entering wedge into Russia by helping these Ukrainians against Polish imperialism.”

American Mission believe that foregoing statement should be accepted with considerable reserve as no confirmatory information available at present, and Martin has no opportunity to estimate conditions in greater part of Russian Ukraine.

American Mission
  1. Christian G. Rakovsky, Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic.