[Enclosure]
Memorandum by the Secretary of War (Baker)
Washington, June 2, 1920.
1. The report of General Harbord, Chief of the American Military
Mission to Armenia,28 contemplated that
Trans-Caucasia and the whole of the former Turkish Empire, less
Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia, would be included in the terms
of a single mandate. For this territory General Harbord proposed
an initial Ameriican force of occupation of 59,000 men, to be
reduced subsequently by about 50 per cent as a result of the
organization of a native constabulary.
2. The area of the proposed state of Armenia is from 55,000 to
60,000 square miles, or about one-sixth of the area considered
by General Harbord. Its population is estimated as approximately
3,000,000.
3. The War Department is of the opinion that pending the
organization of a native constabulary, an American force of
occupation of the following strength and composition, would be
sufficient to insure domestic order in Armenia, and to protect
its frontiers against the incursions of irregular or unorganized
forces from adjacent territories, viz;
| One Infantry Division, less 1 regiment of
155 mm. howitzers, plus a third brigade of
infantry |
|
21,152 |
| Attached troops:— |
|
|
|
1 Railway Battalion |
1,000 |
|
|
2 Aero Squadron |
400 |
|
|
Additional Sanitary Personnel |
1,000 |
|
|
Service of Supply |
2,500 |
|
|
Attached for duty with native constabulary |
500 |
|
|
Total Attached Troops |
|
5,400 |
| Grand Total |
|
26,552 |
| Or in round number |
|
27,000 |
4. As a result of the organization of native constabulary, it
should be possible to reduce the above force substantially by
the end of two years, and to about 10,000 men by the end of the
third year.
[Page 785]
5. As to organized external aggressions against Armenia, if the
League of Nations functions in accordance with the terms of the
Covenant, the protection of Armenia against such aggressions
will devolve upon all the member states of the League. In any
event it may be said that it will be impracticable to maintain
in Armenia American forces of occupation of such size as to
insure the protection of that state against invasions in force.
At present the greatest danger in this respect is that offered
by the Bolshevists. A Bolshevist force of from 65,000 to 75,000
men has been advancing southward through the Caucasus and has
recently occupied Baku, and in newspaper dispatches of this date
is reported to have entered Russian Armenia.
