Paris Peace Conf. 763.72114/25
The Chargé in Switzerland (
Wilson
) to the Commission to
Negotiate Peace
No. 84
Berne
, January
10, 1919.
[Received January 16.]
Sirs: I have the honor to transmit herewith
for your information copy and translation of a note from the Swiss
Political Department, dated January 9, 1919, enclosing a communication
from the German Legation regarding the repatriation of German troops
from the Black Sea.
I beg to add that copies of the enclosed note are being sent to the
Department of State.
I have [etc.]
[Page 61]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Swiss Political
Department to the American Legation
in Switzerland
Allg. D. Int. 540 I
The Swiss Political Department has the honor to enclose herewith to
the Legation of the United States of America, copy of a note which
the German Legation in Berne has submitted to it, asking the
Legation of the United States to be so good as to bring it to the
attention of its Government.
In this communication the German Government asks authority to send
from Hamburg a certain number of vessels for the repatriation of
German troops on the Black Sea.
The Department avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the
Legation of the United States of America the assurances of its high
consideration.
[Subenclosure—Translation]32
Memorandum From the German Government
Since shipment of the repatriated German fighting units from the
Black Sea is not possible by land routes, because the railways are
in the hands of the revolutionary soldiers and strong Bolshevik
bands, part of the transports which have left were completely sacked
and were left to their fate in the Russian winter. The one salvation
for the troops from Nikolaiev, Constantinople and the Caucasus, in
all about 25,000 men and 40 nurses, is therefore the transport by
sea to Hamburg. As ships available in the Black Sea are absolutely
unusable for the long trip, the necessary vessels must be forwarded
from Germany. Provisioning and money for the German troops are
lacking. Greatest haste is therefore necessary to avert a
catastrophe. The German Government requests the Entente Governments
to grant immediate permission to send the necessary number of German
transports to Nikolaiev.
