SECRET The Joint Intelligence Staff pointed out that the conclusions reached by the Russian emigre who had written the articles on which the Foreign Office report had been based, had been disagreed with by a number of other Russian emigres in America. Although the figures contained in the draft report+ which had been circulated were not in dispute, insufficient evidence was available regarding the political aspects of this matter. For example, it was questionable whether the large number of Russians who deserted to the Germans in the early stages of the late war did so for political reasons or because of the breakdown of the Russian administration owing to the speed of the German advance.