§ 9. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for War whether there is still a British military mission in South Russia; and, if so, what are its functions?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Churchill)The greater part of the British Military Mission in South Russia has been withdrawn. There remains in the Crimea a small Mission, whose functions are to assist in the reorganisation of the army lately under General Denikin, and to keep the new commander-in-chief, General Wrangel, informed as to the progress of negotiations, which are being prosecuted through the British Foreign Office. It is not to be used in a combatant capacity.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYAre we to understand that these men are going to bolster up this military force in the Crimea, while another Mission is consulting with Russian representatives at Copenhagen for the resumption of trade?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLYes. The British Foreign Office has entered into negotiations with the Bolshevist Government in order to secure, if possible, the lives of the large number of Russian soldiers and refugees, officers, women and children, who are now huddled together in the 195 Crimea, and pending those negotiations we shall do all that is possible, through the agency of our Mission, to prevent the Crimea being overrun and all the people being massacred before the arrangements are completed.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYCan we take it that this Mission's functions are to organise purely defensive operations, and not again to incite the Russians to undertake offensive operations against their own countrymen?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe object of the Mission is to enable the forces, the troops, in the Crimea to hold out in the Crimea until some arrangement can be made which saves them from utter destruction.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLWrangel is the Russian general who succeeded General Denikin.