Paris Peace Conference 184.01502/40: Telegram
The Chargé in Denmark (Grant-Smith) to the Commission to Negotiate Peace
[Received in Paris 11:40 p.m.]
400. Following from Libau:
“Greene 32, June 3rd: I spent six days in Riga. We arrived while dead still unburied and were able to verify exact condition of city under Bolshevist rule, also to see the White Terror succeed the Red and to realize the need of outside intervention to bring peace and reconciliation into this country. The Red Terror is worse than the White but the latter sufficiently shocking. Soldiers of the attacking forces who took the city, only to find mothers, sisters and pastors murdered in cold blood by the Bolsheviks and wives forced to work in public baths where they had been raped by Bolshevist soldiers, can be expected to show little mercy. In this war power swings alternatively to the extremists of either side and justice is administered by those whose passions are hottest. Consequently, what is called justice is largely reprisals and vengeance. Losses in field actions comparatively light but slaughter by shooting squads is appalling. Bolshevists shoot prisoners and civilians indiscriminately often in the legs and then club out their brains with rifle butts. Whites are generally less barbarous but carry out wholesale executions. Under experienced officers and trained soldiers, [Page 680] executions are ruthless and cold-blooded but painless, as condemned killed instantly, but it is otherwise under inexperienced or incompetent officers. I am speaking with direct knowledge of above matters as I saw Bolshevist victims as well as White executions. I have heard German soldiers mutter that in four years of war they had not witnessed such scenes. I took up question executions with Fletcher19 at Riga urging more clemency, more care and delay in trials and presence of pastor and doctor at each execution. He defends necessity for stern measures owing danger anarchy in Riga but said he had taken measures for controlling executions and reprisals including appointment of Lettish officer on each trial board. He also promised to have pastor and doctor at each future execution. For Fletcher it must be said that he has restored order in Riga under most difficult circumstances, that he has prevented looting in the city, and that his iron hand is impartial as we found German officers in common jail for looting along with Bolshevist and civilian criminals. We were also informed that order from Berlin has stopped general Bolshevist executions by German troops not under Fletcher.
- 2.
- I wish to emphasize the savage and unrelenting character of this war, where ancient racial hatred between Bait and Lett, resistance to German military domination and struggle of submerged nationalities to free themselves from pan-Slavism are hopelessly interwoven into the fight between Bolshevism and anti-Bolshevism and class warfare and world revolution preached from Moscow. No element or group trusts the other even when temporarily allied for common end and no mercy is shown to the defeated.
- 3.
- American food train twice attacked by outlaws while at Mitau en route Riga. Successfully defended by Bait guard. Six killed in first attack. Greene.”
- Major Fletcher, German commander of the Baltic Landwehr.↩