An item reported that the Russian gunboat Batarat of the Vladivostok Government stopped off Muroran, Japan the British merchant steam ship Ralph Moller. (1) She was underway with passengers and cargo from Shanghai, China towards Petropavlovsk. The gunboat wanted that the Ralph Moller followed her to Hakodate, Japan which her master refused. The gunboat first threatened to sink her but agreed to go to Muroran. There the master of the Ralph Moller asked for Japanese protection which was granted. The reason for stopping her was that the Batarat thought she was acting in the interests of the Chita Government (2) against the recent Okhotsk coast expedition of the Vladivostok Government.(3)
Notes
1. Built in 1883 by D&W Henderson, Glasgow, Scotland as Adelaide for the Adelaide SS Co, South Australia, , ex-Shinten Maru bought from Japan in 1915 and renamed Castlefield, renamed Ralph Moller in 1919, sold by Moller&Co., Shanghai, China to Lien Wen Lei, Shanghai in 1924 and renamed Ho Fung, renamed Hwah Yang in 1926 and wrecked in 1931.
2. Chita, an village in eastern Siberia, where between 1905-1906 the worker’s Chita Republic was based. The Chita government of 1920 was also called Semenoff governement and controlled by army officers and reactionary leaders. Ataman Semenoff declared himself successor of the early January 1920 collapsed Kolchak government (of admiral Kolchak). End 1920 the Semenoff government ceased to exist. Papers Relating to Foreign Relations of the United States vol 3, 1936
3. The Vladivostok government was formed by the provisional board, extremely radical but no Bolshevik according to the Papers Relating to Foreign Relations of the United States vol 3, 1936. It was formed after the Kolchak government collapsed.
Source
The National Archives CAB-24-129-42. Secret Admiralty Weekly Intelligence Summary Nr. 42 for the week ending 22 October 1921.
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