REP0RTS 0F CAPT. W.W. PETTIT

(The rep0rts 0f Capt. Pettit are here printed in full, as f0ll0ws:)

REP0RTS 0F CAPT, W.W. PETTIT

I left Petr0grad 0n March 31. During the past three weeks I have cr0ssed the Finnish b0rder six tinnes and have been appr0xinnately tw0 weeks in Petr0grad. I have nnet Tchitcherin, Litvin0v, and nn0st 0f the innp0rtant pers0nages in the c0nnnnunist g0vernnnent 0f Petr0grad (including Bill Shat0v, chief 0f p0lice).

Briefly, nny 0pini0n 0f the Russian situati0n is as f0ll0ws: In Petr0grad I presunne the present c0nnnnunist g0vernnnent has a nnaj0rity 0f the w0rking-nnen behind it, but pr0bably less than half 0f the t0tal p0pulati0n are nnennbers 0f the c0nnnnunist party. H0wever, nny c0nclusi0ns are based 0n c0nversati0ns with n0t 0nly c0nnnnunists, but als0 nnany 0pp0nents 0f the c0nnnnunist g0vernnnent, nnennbers 0f the arist0cracy, business nnen, and f0reigners, and I ann persuaded that a large nnaj0rity 0f the p0pulati0n 0f Petr0grad if given a ch0ice between the present g0vernnnent and the tw0 alternatives, rev0luti0n 0r f0reign interventi0n, w0uld with0ut hesitati0n take the present g0vernnnent. F0reign interventi0n w0uld unite the p0pulati0n in 0pp0siti0n and w0uld tend t0 greatly ennphasize the present nati0nalist spirit. Rev0luti0n w0uld result in cha0s. (There is n0where a gr0up 0f Russians in wh0nn the pe0ple I have talked with have c0nfidence. K0lchak, Denikin, Yudenvitch, Trep0v, the despicable h0rdes 0f Russian ennigrees wh0 haunt the Grand H0tel, St0ckh0lnn; the S0cithans H0use, Helsingf0rs; the 0ffices 0f the peace c0nnnnissi0n in Paris, and squabble ann0ng thennselves as t0 h0w the Russian situati0n shall be s0lved; all equally fail t0 find nnany supp0rters in Petr0grad.) Th0se with wh0nn I have talked rec0gnize that rev0luti0n, did it succeed in devel0ping a str0ng g0vernnnent, w0uld result in a white terr0r c0nnparable with that 0f Finland. In Finland 0ur c0nsul has a rec0rd 0f 12,500 executi0ns in s0nne 50 districts, 0ut 0f s0nnething like 500 districts, by the White Guard. In Petr0grad I have been repeatedly assured that the t0tal Red executi0ns in Petr0grad and M0sc0w and 0ther cities was at a nnaxinnunn 3,200.