§ 2. Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether a strongly-worded Note has been handed to the Esthonian Government on behalf of the Allies, with a request that the army of General Yudenitch may be permitted to 1100 remain on Esthonian territory pending its reinforcement by units from Colonel Bermondt's forces; whether Yudenitch' s troops are in a demoralised state, and have been disarmed by the Esthonians; whether Bermondt's forces are partly Germans; whether they have already killed nine British seamen on board His Majesty's ship "Dragon"; and whether there is any change in the declared Allied policy of compelling Bermondt and his German allies to evacuate the Baltic Provinces?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe Supreme Council in Paris have requested the Provisional Government of Esthonia to take no drastic action in regard to General Yudenitch's army, pending a decision on the matter by the Conference. Meanwhile, the disposal of Colonel Bermondt's forces is in the hands of the Inter-Allied Military Mission.
As regards the second part of the question, General Yudenitch's troops, after having retired on a congested front, are in need of reorganisation, and in this connection certain units have been voluntarily disarmed under the auspices of the Esthonian military authorities.
The answer to the third and fourth parts of the question are in the affirmative, and to the fifth part in the negative.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYWill the hon. Gentleman answer the last part of the question?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI have said that the answer to the fifth part of the question is in the negative.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODHave Bermondt's troops yet been sent to join General Yudenitch's troops, or is that movement in contemplation?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThat is a queston of which I must have notice.
11. Lieut.-Colonel MALONEasked the Secretary of State for War whether the Russian military forces serving in the army of Colonel Bermondt, or recently General von der Goltz, are receiving assistance in money or materials from this country; and, if so, whether it is proposed to transport these forces to any other anti-Bolshevik front, or what policy it is intended to adopt in regard to these forces?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Churchill)The Russian troops serving under General Bermondt and General von der Goltz have never received any assistance in money or materials from this country. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODDoes the right hon. Gentleman propose to join these forces to any other anti-Bolshevist forces?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThat does not arise out of the question. I really do not know what will happen in that theatre, but it depends entirely on whether the small Governments there make any peace or armistice with the Bolsheviks, and what are the terms of that peace.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWill it be realised when those arrangements are being made that these so-called Russian forces under Colonel Bermondt are in reality forces of the German Baltic barons?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am quite sure that my hon. Friend's objection to these gentlemen is not due to the fact that they are pro-German, but to the fact that they are anti-Bolshevist.