Emanuel V. Voska to the War Department

Copy of Telegram
Paris,
Dated July 17, 1918.
Received July 18, 4:44 a.m.

CODEMilstaff,Washington.
No. 229, July 17, 5 p. m.

Capt. Voska, G. S. C., N. A., after careful investigation suggests that immediate steps should be taken to prevent Japanese intervention in Russia, to which French Government would agree. Instead of Japanese intervention the Czecho-Slovak army should be used together with other military units of Poles and Russians grouped under command of American officers together with an American force of 5,000 men composed of material suitable for instruction and the whole should be known as an American command.He believes Japanese intervention would throw into arms of Germany the whole Russian element which is now anti-German because Japanese as a nation are more hated by Russians than any other race and that the Czecho-Slovaks under an American command would be heartily welcomed by the Russian people who believe in and have confidence in the Czecho-Slovaks and Americans. Russian people would rally around such a movement. Prestige of the Czecho-Slovaks would be increased when it became known that they are American units and not French.Russians dislike French on account of financial support they gave to Ukraine. At present French Government is endeavoring to have Czecho-Slovak army transferred to fighting in France. Voska believes this would be a great blunder and is sure they can do better work in Russia than here. In case of intervention Japanese should only play secondary part. Voska suggests, "It would be advisable for the United States to issue a proclamation showing clearly purpose of the intervention, announcing to the Russian people that it was solely for the purpose of policing their country until such time as Russian people could establish some form of government."

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