Vice Admiral Sims to Secretary of the Navy
Title
Vice Admiral Sims to Secretary of the Navy
Creator
Sims, William Sowden, 1858-1936
Identifier
WWP25064
Date
1918 July 3
Description
Secret message relaying information about the German troops turning to the East.
Source
Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
World War, 1914-1918
Russia
World War, 1914-1918--Germany
Contributor
Morgan Willer
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
[Handwritten note at top of page: This message evidently considered very secret.]
PARAPHRASE Simben 10.
From: Vice Admiral Sims
To: Secretary of the Navy (Office of Naval Operations).
The following text of a cablegram has been received by the British Admiralty from the British Naval Attache at Petrograd: The following information has been received from the Staff of Ludendorff: The German General Staff consider that in a month their attack on the western front will render the Allied army incapable of taking the offensive for some time. They then propose turning to Russia, breaking the Brest peace treaty and declare a monarchy. Reichestag parties have not yet finally agreed to this. Conditions will then be more favorable than under terms of Brest Peace Conference, returning all territory to Russia, even Ukraine, Esthonia and Finland, Courland to be an autonomy under either German or Russian suzerainty, but the German culture to have full sway in the Baltic states. Finland will be independent under the protection of Russia. Economic conditions will be onerous but less so than at present.
As a candidate for the throne Grand Duke Michael is mentioned and a high German agent has already been sent to Perm to open negotiations, but Grand Duke Michael has disappeared temporarily.
My informant a high Russian official whose name must remain secret (a personal friend and in whom I have every confidence) has traveled much lately and has come in contact with the peasants says that until further famine is threatened the crisis will be in July and it is then that the monarchy will be declared by Germany. A new harvest will be available in August and all of this will be attributed to the new monarchy. My informant considers that a monarchy is the only means of saving the situation and it would be to the advantage of the Allies to forestall the Germans.
A dictatorship is not considered possible, there being three candidates in the field, Generals Alexieff and Boldereff and Admiral Kolchak, neither of whom, in my opinion, would be a success in that position. My informant gives the Allies one month to arrive at a decision and says that is is highly urgent to start operations in the East (so often advanced by the representatives of the Allies now in Russia) and from a front in Volga to take advantage of the present movements of the Czech-Slavs and if possible to get the ex-emperor and the other principle members of the Imperial family into Allied hands not allowing them to be exploited by any political party.
Central Russia would then rally round our standard but anything other than a monarchy would have the effect of driving all capital and land owners over to the side of the Germans and that these would be followed by the more intelligent class who are at present in feeling anti-German, also that it would split up right center drive one section to the extreme right and the other to the extreme left. I venture to suggest this proposition in view of the new German plan being considered seriously.
In Ukraine there are 200,000 officers of whom 150,000 will at once join up, but in support only of a monarchy. My informant is not a monarchist but he views the situation such that a monarchy is the only way out, expecially as to the position of the Grand Duke, who is the most popular candidate, but it is certain also that no member of the Romanoff family could accept the throne unless by representatives of the majority.
The present German activities are merely a side-play of the main objective.
Le Page. 03402 Simben 10.
4:52 am 7/3/18.
PARAPHRASE Simben 10.
From: Vice Admiral Sims
To: Secretary of the Navy (Office of Naval Operations).
The following text of a cablegram has been received by the British Admiralty from the British Naval Attache at Petrograd: The following information has been received from the Staff of Ludendorff: The German General Staff consider that in a month their attack on the western front will render the Allied army incapable of taking the offensive for some time. They then propose turning to Russia, breaking the Brest peace treaty and declare a monarchy. Reichestag parties have not yet finally agreed to this. Conditions will then be more favorable than under terms of Brest Peace Conference, returning all territory to Russia, even Ukraine, Esthonia and Finland, Courland to be an autonomy under either German or Russian suzerainty, but the German culture to have full sway in the Baltic states. Finland will be independent under the protection of Russia. Economic conditions will be onerous but less so than at present.
As a candidate for the throne Grand Duke Michael is mentioned and a high German agent has already been sent to Perm to open negotiations, but Grand Duke Michael has disappeared temporarily.
My informant a high Russian official whose name must remain secret (a personal friend and in whom I have every confidence) has traveled much lately and has come in contact with the peasants says that until further famine is threatened the crisis will be in July and it is then that the monarchy will be declared by Germany. A new harvest will be available in August and all of this will be attributed to the new monarchy. My informant considers that a monarchy is the only means of saving the situation and it would be to the advantage of the Allies to forestall the Germans.
A dictatorship is not considered possible, there being three candidates in the field, Generals Alexieff and Boldereff and Admiral Kolchak, neither of whom, in my opinion, would be a success in that position. My informant gives the Allies one month to arrive at a decision and says that is is highly urgent to start operations in the East (so often advanced by the representatives of the Allies now in Russia) and from a front in Volga to take advantage of the present movements of the Czech-Slavs and if possible to get the ex-emperor and the other principle members of the Imperial family into Allied hands not allowing them to be exploited by any political party.
Central Russia would then rally round our standard but anything other than a monarchy would have the effect of driving all capital and land owners over to the side of the Germans and that these would be followed by the more intelligent class who are at present in feeling anti-German, also that it would split up right center drive one section to the extreme right and the other to the extreme left. I venture to suggest this proposition in view of the new German plan being considered seriously.
In Ukraine there are 200,000 officers of whom 150,000 will at once join up, but in support only of a monarchy. My informant is not a monarchist but he views the situation such that a monarchy is the only way out, expecially as to the position of the Grand Duke, who is the most popular candidate, but it is certain also that no member of the Romanoff family could accept the throne unless by representatives of the majority.
The present German activities are merely a side-play of the main objective.
Le Page. 03402 Simben 10.
4:52 am 7/3/18.
Original Format
Letter
To
Daniels, Josephus, 1862-1948
Files
Collection
Citation
Sims, William Sowden, 1858-1936, “Vice Admiral Sims to Secretary of the Navy,” 1918 July 3, WWP25064, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.