Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Commander Charles P. Nelson, Commander, United States Naval Base at Corfu, Greece, to Captain Richard H. Jackson, United States Naval Representative in Paris

Form A.

Action Copy.

File No.      

CABLEGRAM RECEIVED <November 16, 1918.> 17 November 1918.

Origin Corfu Greece                         Ser. No. 165

PRIORITY.

TO: PARIS NAVAL STAFF REPRESENTATIVE.

FROM: COMMANDER U S NAVAL BASE CORFU GREECE.

FOR: <BENSON.>1

     On orders from Bullard and request of French Commander-in-Chief2 have sent 6 units of chasers to show flag, cooperate with Allied Forces in settlement of Austrian armistice and furnish continual source of local information to Bullard at Venice. One chaser unit to be left at following ports: LISSA, MELADA, SPALATO and POLA and second unit under Spafford3 at Cape Plati. Daily despatch service established between French Commander-in-Chief Corfu and Cattaro for correspondence to be relayed further to Northward as required. Situation very delicate and critical over Jugo-Slav question.4 Full instructions in accordance with Bullard’s secret cable 155512 – 2nd of 13 November5 issued all chasers. Am sending copy of Loftin’s report6 from Cattaro, which show plainly existing conditions JUGO-SLAV situation. Conditions may be worse further north where occupation is by Italians alone. Consider Loftin’s work highly commendable. 11116.

Sims.

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. The handwritten date is confirmed by the time/date notation at the end of the cable. This copy is on a printed form, and several additional boxes have been omitted.

Footnote 1: Adm. William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations.

Footnote 2: RAdm. William H. H. Bullard, Commander, United States Naval Forces in the Eastern Mediterranean; and VAdm. Dominique Marie Gauchet, Commander-in-Chief, Allied Naval Forces in the Mediterranean. Gauchet and the French naval forces were based on the island of Corfu, where Gauchet was also the military governor.

Footnote 3: Lt. Cmdr. Edward E. Spafford, U. S. N. R. F.

Footnote 4: For more on the situation in Yugoslavia, see: Sims to Opnav, 8 November, 1918; and Benson to Opnav, 10 November 1918.

Footnote 5: This cable has not been found.

Footnote 6: Lt. Edward H. Loftin was a member of the staff at the U.S. base at Corfu. His report has not been found.

Related Content