On May 23 General Semenoff established an autonomous Government in
the Trans-Baikal region, after a report of a quarrel with Admiral
Kolchak. The Bolshevist Foreign Minister, Tchitcherin, sent a
protest to China on May 26 charging the Chinese Government with
officially protecting General Semenoff in his activities against
the Soviet power.
The Germans continued their advance into Ukraine, and on May
25 broke the armistice on the Voronezh front, in spite of the
truce between Russia and the Ukraine, and occupied Valuiki after
four days' fighting. Atrocious methods were used in reprisal for
disorders among the peasants. On May 31 several villages near Kiev
were drenched with gas.
The Bolshevist Foreign Minister, Tchitcherin, protested to France
on May 29 against the further retention of Russian troops on the
French front.
The Chinese Government informed Tchitcherin on May 29 that it
was unable to admit Russian Soviet councils in China because the
Soviet Government had not been recognized by China.
On May 29 announcement was made that a new Cossack Government
had been set up in the Don country with General Krasnoff at the
head. His first proclamation announced that the Austro-Germans had
entered the territory to aid in the fight against the Red Guard
and for the establishment of order.
The Bolshevist Government offered to surrender the Russian Black
Sea fleet to Germany on condition that the warships be restored to
Russia after peace had been declared and that the Germans refrain
from using the vessels, June 6.
Several moves were made looking toward intervention by the Allies
to save Russia from complete domination by Germany. A military
agreement between China and Japan relating to the expedition into
Siberia was signed on June 2. On June 10 Senator William H. King
introduced a resolution in the United States Senate proposing
that a civilian commission be sent to Russia, backed by an allied
military force, for the purpose of overcoming German propaganda
and to aid in giving freedom to the country. The Russian
Ambassador at Washington, Boris Bakhmeteff, presented to the
State Department on June 11 a resolution adopted by the Central
Committee of the Cadet Party of Russia urging allied intervention.
June 18--Further advances into Russia by the Germans in
contravention of Brest treaty.