Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, Volume II

Paris Peace Conf. 186.3411/98

The Commander of United States Naval Forces in the Eastern Mediterranean ( Bullard ) to Admiral W. S. Benson

U. S. S. “Gregory,” Fiume , 15 December, 1918.

Subject: Report activities Eastern Adriatic.

1. Captain Gherardi, U. S. Navy, arrived on board on Tuesday, December 10, while the Birmingham was at Spalato, bringing certain verbal instructions and memorandum notes from Admiral Benson regarding policy to be followed by the United States Representative in Adriatic affairs.

2. Stribling left Spalato on Tuesday December 10, carrying the different representatives of the United States at Pola in connection with the terms of the Austro-Hungarian armistice. On receiving notice of her arrival, I was able to report that arrangements for executing the terms of the armistice on the part of the United States, as far as it related to former Austro-Hungarian Men of War, naval equipment, etc., were completed.

3. There being no further immediate need of my presence at Spalato, and desiring to get in closer touch with the Allied representatives of the Naval Committee for the Adriatic, I left Spalato in the Birmingham on Wednesday December 11 for Venice, arriving off harbor at daylight Thursday December 12. The weather was very foggy and entrance into the harbor could not be effected until late in afternoon. I found that the French Admiral Fatou, a member of the Naval Committee for the Adriatic was seriously ill and would have to go to a hospital. British Admiral Kiddle had left earlier in the week for Fiume. On Friday afternoon I received despatch from Admiral Sims appointing me United States representative on a commission to hold an inquiry and make a report to the Allied Governments showing clearly what is the existing situation, and what measures it is necessary to take to watch against disagreement or trouble in any territory of the Adriatic occupied by, or to be occupied by, Allied Forces outside of those mentioned in Article 3 of the Austrian armistice terms, such as Corfu, Spalato, Fiume, etc. I was directed to report to senior representative of the commission without delay. Accordingly, at once made plans for going to Fiume where I was informed the Italian admiral was, as he was the Senior representative of the Commission. I left Venice at daylight Saturday December 14 in the Gregory, leaving the Birmingham at Venice as it was necessary she should coal. Captain Gherardi accompanied me, as it was my desire to retain him until the return of Captain Hussey, as the latter might bring further points on which uncertainty might exist, and Captain Gherardi could return with full information.

4. I had some time previously received word from the Admiral Cagni at Pola that new mine fields had been discovered in the ordinarily used route to Fiume, and therefore it was necessary to go to Pola to obtain a pilot and first hand information. Arrived at Pola at 11:30 a.m. and had conferences with Admiral Cagni and our senior representative Commander G. C. Logan. The latter reported that everything was progressing smoothly and he had every assistance offered him and courtesies shown by the Italian authorities. He reported that they had not started to make inventories as yet, but would soon begin. Left Pola at 1:30 with pilot and arrived at Fiume at sunset and made fast to wharf. I found the senior representative of the New Commission to be Rear Admiral Mola, temporarily quartered in an Italian Battleship and I reported to him in person. Rear Admiral Kiddle of the English Navy, the British representative, was quartered in an English Gunboat. I informed Admiral Mola of Admiral Fatou’s illness and of his inability to attend any meeting until all four representatives were present, and telegraphed the Italian Naval Ministry with request to forward to French Naval Ministry to appoint another representative.

5. Rear Admiral Kiddle called on me and detailed the serious situation that had arisen involving the French and the Italians. The French had not recognized the right of the Naval Committee for the Adriatic to allow only Italian authorities to requisition Austro-Hungarian merchant ships, and accordingly the French representative, Commodore Dumesnil, acting under orders of the French Commander in Chief, Admiral Gauchet, hoisted the French flag in six merchant ships and announced his intention of requisitioning them for the French navy. Meanwhile the Italians said if they put to sea without an escort and a safe passport issued by the Italian authorities they would be arrested for breaking the blockade. Admiral Kiddle appreciating the grave consequences of such an act persuaded the French Commodore to wait a reasonable time, explaining that the action of the Naval Committee of the Adriatic required the requisitioning by Italian authorities and the trade routes were to be determined by the Allied Maritime Transport Committee of London. In the meantime the French Commodore was called away hurriedly and while he was gone, a subordinate French officer was persuaded their projected course was not justified, and hauled down the French flags. Immediately the Italian authorities stepped in and removed four of the ships to Pola for requisitioning. On return of the French Commodore, who had received positive orders to hoist the French flag and take the ships to sea, he hoisted the French flag on the remaining two and one put to sea with a French representative on board, and was not molested, and announced his intention of sending the other one the next morning, Sunday December 15. The Italian authorities by this time, firmly believing in their right to arrest these ships, repeated their intentions to arrest this second ship if attempt was made to go to sea. Such were the conditions when I arrived on the scene. Admiral Kiddle suggested an informal meeting to discuss the affair and I attended, expecting to do what was within my power to prevent the Italians from carrying out their purpose of making this arrest. Fortunately, I had seen the Chief of Staff of Admiral Fatou in Venice just before sailing and he told me of a visit he made to Rome to see Admiral Revel, Chief of Staff of Italian Navy and President of the Naval Committee for the Adriatic, and how he had arranged that the French should requisition certain ships, fly the French flag, and have a French representative on board. This was quite at variance with the decision of the Naval Committee of the Adriatic, and changed in principle, the Committee’s action without in any way informing the Committee or even the Italian Representatives themselves. Recognizing here was a way out of the difficulty, I presented the memorandum copy which I had obtained from the Chief of Staff to Admiral Fatou, and as it had his signature the Italian representatives consented to receive it as an official document, and Admiral Kiddle and myself directed a letter to the Italian Admiral recommending that he play no part in carrying out the threatened arrest, and he accordingly informed the French Commodore that having received later information, the sailing of the ship would not be contested, and thus the incident passed without the probable grave consequences that might have accompanied it. I explained this condition in a despatch and explained that as the threatened state of affairs would take place in a few hours and I could not refer the matter further, requested approval of my action.

6. While at Pola I learned that orders had been given by the Italian C-in-C that certain persons would be deported from that place. I do not know where the authority comes for such an order, but apparently the Italians are proceeding on the assumption they are never to be moved. Their action certainly cannot be based on any terms of the Armistice. This might be a fruitful source of inquiry by the new Commission, but this Commission is barred from considering anything included in the area described in Article 3 of the Austrian Armistice terms. I made the report of this deportation in a special despatch, Adriatic Nine,²⁷ and the full text of the proclamation is contained in a written report from the U. S. Naval Representative at Pola, copy of which is forwarded herewith together with other proclamations and information of interest collected there.²⁸ This report came to me at Pola which explains the delay in forwarding. There are no means of sending mail between ships of my forces except by destroyers, and as their presence is needed as station ships and for communication purposes, mail communication is practically at a standstill.

7. Owing to the presence of so many ships at Fiume, the air is constantly filled with radio messages making the reception of messages sent from here extremely difficult, and an attempt is being made to arrange a sending schedule for ships of various Navies. There is a telegraph line from Fiume connecting with the lines of other countries, but at the best telegraph communication is bad and subject to severe delays … Messages are repeated by radio whenever possible to the station ship at Venice, there to connect with the telegraph line, but the same conditions exist there and I never feel confident that my despatches go through. Some despatches from London and Paris have taken five days.

8. I feel the need of a small ship to carry stores, supplies, etc., and act as general tender to the disarmed ships at Spalato, but have refrained from asking for a special government ship, hoping I could get one of the small Austrian coasting vessels now at Spalato. I have sent despatches concerning the same, both to London and Rome and trust to have some measure of success. This may involve the regular requisitioning of the ship, but I think there will be no complications in the details concerning this, as whatever expense is incurred will be well repaid by the services rendered. With only such boats that the destroyer station ship carries in addition to a few boats on the battleships, there is not much in the way of communication involving long distances or carrying capacity.

9. Conditions at Fiume are generally quiet with now and then a local outbreak due to temper or exasperation on the part of the populace. It has the air of a purely Italian permanent occupation, and Italian flags fly everywhere and I was informed that there was a soldier wherever an Italian flag was flying to see that it was not disturbed. There are constant forms of different propaganda: parades with flags flying, the issuing of a special class of literature, and public utterances. There are only a few Jugo-Slav flags seen. Nearly every person wears some sort of a national emblem to show his nationality and sympathies. Sometimes this leads to street fighting among the disorderly element. I understand an Italian governor has been appointed and most of the business of the city is in the hands of the Italians. Wherever they have entered along the Adriatic, they have entered in force and entrenched themselves in every possible way. There seems thousands of Italian troops, certainly 12,000 and soldiers are met everywhere. There is also a battalion of English soldiers and a battalion of American soldiers. I saw a French General on shore but no troops. Later learned there was one battalion. The condition here will be thoroughly examined into by the new Commission. I saw the Commanding Officer of the American Forces, Colonel Wallace, and he said he expected to call on me. The American Officers are quartered in an Austrian-Hungarian steamer and have every comfort and even luxury. It is the part of the Italians to keep them under obligation in every way. I have repeatedly expressed the opinion there was no necessity for troops in this city, as I could not see it was provided for in the Armistice, except in the general clause which allows troops to be landed to quell disorder and preserve peace, but this does not require the landing of thousands of troops as the Italians have done. Without definite instructions I shall use my best endeavors in persuading my colleagues that if any troops are needed at all, they should be but a small representation, certainly not more than a battalion, and trust this may meet with approval. The fact that the French wish to make this a port for evacuation of troops from the interior and from the east, and that supplies will be forwarded from here to the permanent Army of Occupation will probably lead them to wish for a much larger force.

10. The Leonidas, Mazont, fuel ship, and chasers have left for Corfu. One unit of these boats had arrived in Greece and another was on its way.

W. H. G. Bullard

27. Not found in Department files.
28. No enclosures with file copy of this document.