January 20, 1919
PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE
Day 2
1030: The Big Four (Leaders of Britain, France, Italy and the United States) meet in Stephen Pichon's office suite at the Hotel Quai d’Orsay. The entire meeting is given over to French Ambassador to Russia Joseph Noulens, who gives a detailed account of the state of affairs in that Country. Noulens urges the Delegates to adopt a single joint policy toward Russia, and that all the Entente powers should be agreed on their attitude and actions concerning the Bolshevik Government. Under questioning Noulens states that the majority of Russians support the new government, but that the Bolsheviks are waging a campaign of tyranny against the intellectual and well-to-do classes.
It is briefly discussed whether there are enough Allied troops at Archangelsk to fight the Russians should that become necessary. Noulens then speaks of Trotsky's reign of terror, mass shootings, deliberate starvation, drownings, live burials and mutilations. The final question was who was in charge in Russia - Lenin or Trotsky? Noulens replied that Lenin was the more popular of the two, but Trotsky was more capable and willing to use force to achieve his ends.
The Delegates agree to meet tomorrow at the same time, then the meeting is adjourned at noon so that those so inclined can attend the luncheon given by the French Senate in honor of President Wilson.
Born today:
British orchestra conductor Alistair Royalton Kisch (died 1995).
Czech composer and World War 2 resistance fighter Štěpán Lucký (died 2006).
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“Never do anything you can't take back.”
—Rocky Russo
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