861.00/5678: Telegram
The Consul at Vladivostok (Macgowan) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 17, 10:19 a.m.]
596. Acting Commissioner of Czech Republic Brozz, Saturday handed me French text of an appeal of the departing plenipotentiary Pavlu and Dr. Girsa, a translation of which follows.
“Intolerable situation of our army filles [forces?] us to request Allied Powers to advise us how Czech army can [assure?] its safety and secure its return to its country which was decided with the assent of the Allied Powers.
Army was willing to protect railway and transportation in the sector assigned to it and has perferred [performed] this task conscientiously. But now presence of our army on the railway and the protection of the latter is becoming impossible because its action is contrary to its aspirations and likewise to the elementary demands of humanity and justice.
In protecting railway and keeping order in the country our army is forced to act against its convictions and support and maintain the state of absolute tyranny and [lawlessness?] that now prevails.
Under the protection of Czech bayonets local military move [do?] things that stupefy the whole civilized world.
[Page 314]Burning villages, murders by hundreds of peaceable Russian inhabitants, [shooting?] without trial of democratic men merely suspected of disaffection are daily events and the [responsibility] for them before the court of the nations of the world falls on us because, having armed forces, we have not prevented these iniquities.
This ransacking [sic] is direct result of our neutrality and nonintervention in Russian domestic affairs and thanks thereto, in preserving absolute good faith, we become in spite of ourselves accomplices in crime.
In communicating this to the representatives of the Allied Powers of which Czech nation was, is and always will be faithful ally, we consider it is necessary to take all measures to inform nations of the world in what tragic moral position Czech Army is placed and the causes of this situation. As to us, we do not see any other issue from this situation but immediately to depart for home from the territory which was intrusted to us for protection and that we be given, until our repatriation, liberty to prevent iniquities and crimes no matter by whom committed.”
Gaida last week told interviewer his job was to establish democratic government here but General [Čeček?] issued order to Czech friends declaring any Czech that joined Gaida would be treated as deserter. Repeated Tokyo, Harris, Stevens.