861.00/7040: Telegram
The High Commissioner at Constantinople (Bristol) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 16—1:35 p.m.]
361. From Admiral McCully [,Sevastopol]:
“60. June 15, 3 p.m. Your 73 [72], June 11, 1 p.m. to American Commissioner, Constantinople. No conditions formulated by either [Page 605] British or Wrangel, but Wrangel would not consent to accept Soviet rule in Crimea. He stated that after surrender of his troops at Sochi on May 5th the Reds promised amnesty and then on various pretexts shot the officers and committed usual atrocities so that it is impossible to trust any engagement entered into with them and that he cannot himself enter into direct negotiations with them. In my opinion Wrangel would agree to conditions which would leave him in the control of Crimea and of that part of Tauride province south of Melitopol Kakhovka line which is now midway between his forces, provided the conditions were insured by guarantee of some great power. Such solution would give time to consider a more permanent arrangement and would be the best solution of present difficulty McCully.”