I place these facts on record that those who are interested may be able to give them their proper order of value and importance.  I afterwards learnt that more than one highly-placed official’s wife had all preparations made for a rapid descent upon the Middlesex quarters.

About 2.30 P.M., November 18, I was informed that Admiral Koltchak had assumed absolute power under the title of “Supreme Governor,” with a Council of Ministers who would be responsible to him for the proper performance of their duties; that he proposed to call on the French representative, Monsieur Renault, to present himself in the evening; that he would then call on me, as the senior British officer in Omsk, and in my case he would answer any questions I chose to put to him.  He called, and it is as well to place here the report I made upon the subject at the time: 

 From Lieutenant-Colonel John Ward, M.P., C.M.G., Omsk, Siberia.

To G.O.C.  China Command.  Through B.M.M.  H.Q.

Headquarters B.M.M., Vladivostok.

SIR,—­For State reasons I deem it necessary to give the following information that it may be forwarded home to the proper authorities.

About 2.30 P.M. on November 18, 1918, my liaison officer (Colonel Frank, of the Russian Army) informed me that at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, just held, the Council had offered to place supreme sovereign power in the hands of Admiral Alexander Koltchak.  The admiral had first refused to accept, but that such pressure had been applied to force him to accept that he had at last reluctantly consented.

Further, that Admiral Koltchak had assumed the title of “Supreme Governor of all Russia,” and was calling upon the French Ambassador in the evening, after which he would call on me as the Senior British Officer holding official position in Omsk.

About 9 P.M.  Admiral Koltchak called at my headquarters.  The following gentlemen were present to receive him:  Lieutenant-Colonel J.F.  Neilson, Captain Stephani, Colonel R. Frank (Russian Army), and Mr. Frazer (Times correspondent).  He wore the full dress of a Russian admiral.

The admiral, who speaks fair English, informed me of the circumstances and reasons for his assumption of supreme authority in all Russia.

An attempt had been made to combine all parties in the Government of the country to reduce it to a state of order, so that the people might be able to decide the future Government of Russia.  The Council chosen by the Ufa Assembly had tried to work together for this purpose, but had failed.  The final dissolution had been brought about by a proclamation issued by the Central Committee of the Social Revolutionary party, which was intended to produce in the new army the same conditions that had destroyed the old army.  The proclamation had been signed by the Social Revolutionary President, Chernoff, and when it was proposed to take action against those who were destroying the discipline of the army, two Social Revolutionary members of the Council, Avkzentieff and Zenzinoff, could see nothing wrong in Chernoff’s subversive propaganda.  It later transpired that both were members of the Social Revolutionary Committee which had issued the literature in question, and refused to either leave the Social Revolutionary Committee or repudiate the anti-discipline propaganda of their friends.