Office of the Historian

File No. 861.00/1897

The Consul at Archangel (Cole) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]
Archangel, May 26, 1918, 11 p.m.
[Received May 29, 9.39 a.m.]

Munition stores and two food ships question still unsettled. Believe presence American cruiser would have excellent effect on this and other problems. British cruiser expected here at end of month or first of next.

Four-cornered struggle here for power, parties thereto being:

(1)
Extraordinary evacuation commission whose members personally dishonest, pro-German and overbearing.
(2)
Chief [of] newly created old [Red] army White Sea military district, reported self-seeking, wily, and by some lukewarm pro-Ally only; both the above have mandates from Moscow, the first from Lenin, the second from Trotsky.
(3)
Central [committee,] Arctic Ocean flotilla, now influenced by newly arrived Black Sea sailors; this committee overbearing has just sanctioned murder on main street in broad daylight which forced assistant to commander in chief escape at once by leaving Archangel; this committee desires to dictate for entire province but lacks determined leadership.
(4)
Soviet provincial executive committee now nominally controlling province and pro-Ally because hoping receive food supplies; president this committee resents control from center but has no armed force to support him.

Old office of commander in chief being liquidated, the above four institutions [are] taking all his functions.

Cole