Office of the Historian

Paris Peace Conference 184.01602/73: Telegram

Admiral Bristol to the Commission to Negotiate Peace

Constantinople, June 30, 1919—6 p.m.
[Received in Paris July 10, 1:30 p.m.]

971. [From Berry at Ekaterinodar:]

Reference your undated telegram mailed in Constantinople June 12 and received here June 25,16 can state that no Russian repatriates from France mutinied at Novorossisk or were exterminated. See Berry 2217 for account of Russian detachment of 600 troops from French west front sent into line about May 13 and immediately attempted to desert to Bolsheviki en masse but Volunteer commander had been forewarned and concealed machine guns finished most of them. Presume this to be incident misunderstood in Paris. Kolchak acceptance18 of Allied note generally applauded in /south Russia but text of note criticised on score of several paragraphs dealing with future interior affairs which no person not even Kolchak can truly give assurances at present time while major part of Russia is yet in enemy’s hands. The paragraph suggesting survival of National Assembly severely criticised and regarded as evidence of lack of knowledge of Russian affairs in Paris as that assembly was established under Bolsheviki regime by Bolsheviki. Berry.

Bristol
  1. See telegram no. 384, June 7, 10 p.m., to the Naval Station at Constantinople, p. 762.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Transmitted by the French Chargé at Omsk, June 4, 1919, p. 375.↩