Flat

Having made sure of its ground, the Moscow Government reiterated its request for the return of the Russian fleet* which took refuge at Tunis after the route of General Wrangel's army in November, 1920. It even went so far as to appoint a commission to visit the fleet. The French Government found itself in a dilemma. Having recognized the Bolsheviki, could it refuse to surrender the fleet? Apparently not. But if it did surrender the fleet, Rumania and other Black Sea neighbors of Russia would be visibly annoyed, and Rumania is a close ally of France. What was to be done, therefore, occupied the minds of responsible authorities at Paris.

*The fleet consists of two battleships, one cruiser, seven destroyers, three torpedo boats, one auxiliary cruiser, four submarines. Destroyers and submarines are comparatively modern ships.