Russia, partly because he was afraid that Dürich, in spite of the reconciliation and although he had repeatedly given his word, would not keep to the agreement and would work against Paris, partly also that under these circumstances our troops from Russia would certainly not reach France. I gave my consent to Štefánik’s plan, although I was not entirely convinced.
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On June 2, 1916, we began to make arrangements for Štefánik’s journey to Russia. Officially, its purpose was to be indicated to the effect that Štefánik, being a French subject, was not going on behalf of the National Council, but in the interests of the French Government to study the conditions among the Czechoslovak prisoners of war in Russia, and to ascertain whether, and, if so, under what conditions, a definite part of them could be transported to France. He was also to negotiate immediately with the Government for sanction to carry out these plans. The mission was to be a French one, and, as I have said, it was the French Government and not the National Council which was to use its efforts to obtain this sanction. The arrangement had its advantages and also its disadvantages, the most dangerous of the latter being that Russia might possibly be aroused to jealousy against France on account of this initiative in Czechoslovak affairs.
Štefánik’s proposal was as follows: I, as General Secretary of the National Council, was to secure Masaryk’s consent, and Masaryk was to apply to Briand and the Russian Ambassadors in Rome and London, asking them to support this plan and to invite Štefánik to Russia.
I myself began to discuss the matter with Lokhvitsky and his officers Doroshevitch and Dalboshevsky, finally also with the Russian Ambassador in Paris. Masaryk gave his consent to Štefánik’s journey, but he was not enthusiastic about it. He had no confidence that anything of real moment could be achieved in Russia at that time, nor did he regard the journey suggested by Štefánik as a feasible one. He therefore did not apply to Briand, Giers, or Benckendorff, and this gave Štefánik the impression that Masaryk was entirely opposed to this policy of his. At first he wanted to take extreme measures in consequence, and to sever his connection with us. I succeeded in
