hostages as there is danger that this inhuman practice may increase during the struggle now going on in Russia. The Department deplores the taking of hostages and is especially opposed in principle to the taking of women and children. The Department desires you to ascertain if hostages are still held and if so endeavor to bring about their immediate liberation, and to express the hope of this Government that the practice of taking hostages will be promptly discontinued. This Department also is of the opinion that the arrest of Catchpool was wholly unwarranted and that every effort should be made to protect him and permit him to move about Russia in connection with the work of securing relief of hostages. POLK File No. 861.00/3565 The Consul General at Irkutsk (Harris) to the Secretary of State1 [Telegram] ОмSK, December 31, 1918. 272. Referring corrected copy Department's December 9, 4 p. m. As question referred to was being dealt with [through] government in Samara, I desire to go on record with the following instructions sent to Vice Consul Williams 2 at that time when matter was referred by him to me. On September 6 I telegraphed Williams as follows: Under no circumstances are women and children to be held as hostages. Demand their immediate unconditional release if this has not already been done. Harris. On September 10 I again telegraphed Williams, Samara: I understand that English, French and possibly Americans are being held as hostages in Moscow. The object of my sending you my September 6 was to protect the foreigners held as hostages in Moscow. While this is an internal Russian affair apparently and we have no right to interfere, yet if foreigners, and possibly Americans, are to suffer indirectly from the practice of such methods it becomes our duty to take measures to prevent it. Make an unofficial representation in effect that nothing is to be gained by putting restraint upon these women and that Moscow should be informed that they have been set entirely free. Endeavor to inform Wardwell, Moscow, by radio of my efforts and your efforts in this matter. This may help position of large number Allied subjects in European Russia. Harris. 2 1Sent via the Legation in China. George W. Williams, Vice Consul at Moscow, detailed to Samara. As a result of our efforts in their behalf these hostages were placed under a sort of house arrest or restraint and they had not been entirely liberated at the time Samara was evacuated. I have never been able to ascertain what actually became of them.1 An investigation will be made at once concerning the treatment accorded Catchpool. 1 HARRIS 'On Dec. 15 Consul General Harris transmitted a badly garbled telegram from the city government of Ekaterinburg, sent with the permission of the Omsk government, addressed to the International Red Cross delegates at Moscow, proposing the exchange of a number of named hostages, Czecho-Slovak and Russian. None of the names contained in the original message to Samara, quoted in enclosure to Consul Poole's despatch of Sept. 2, appear in the list of Bolshevik hostages to be liberated. This telegram was forwarded Dec. 28 to the Legation in Sweden for transmission, if possible, to Moscow (File No. 861.00/3511). CHAPTER XVI BOLSHEVIK PROPAGANDA Efforts to Counteract it and Check its Distribution through Scandinavian Countries-Withdrawal of Swedish and Danish Diplomatic Officers from Russia File No. 861.00/933 The Minister in Norway (Schmedeman) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] CHRISTIANIA, January 10, 1918, 6 p. m. [Received January 11, 2.36 a. m.] 460. A representative of Bolsheviks now in Christiania recently stated that it was the intention of his party to spread their doctrines in Scandinavia with particular energy and that similar efforts would be made in England and the United States as soon as agents could be set to work. So far as this country is concerned I do not think it impossible that there will be considerable Socialist agitation and resulting unrest in a not distant future. Would again call attention to necessity of strict surveillance of immigration into the United States from Russia. Ambassador at London advised by telegram. File No. 861.00/933 SCHMEDEMAN The Secretary of State to the Minister in Norway (Schmedeman) [Telegram] WASHINGTON, January 14, 1918, 3 p. m. 205. Your 460. Naval attaché Christiania reported under date January 8 as follows: "Bolshevik government has sent fresh money collected in Russian banks in large amounts to Stockholm for special use of propaganda in England and United States." Please endeavor to ascertain in what banks money deposited and advise Stockholm accordingly. File No. 861.00/1403 No. 71 LANSING The British Embassy to the Department of State MEMORANDUM As the United States Government are aware, the Bolsheviki government have appointed a representative in London with whom the British Government are unofficially in communication. The Bolsheviki authorities in Russia have thus the opportunity of sending sealed mail bags to London, and have used these bags for the transmission of the party's literature, which thus escapes censorship. Some of the British papers have already published very violent speeches from Russian sources, and, if no means of checking the importation of this literature through the Bolsheviki representative is adopted, there seems little doubt that an active antiwar and revolutionary propaganda will be started in all parts of the country through the efforts of the Russian agents. The ordinary way of dealing with the problem would be by notifying the Bolsheviki representative that if he continues practices directly contrary to diplomatic usage he will be requested to leave Great Britain. The British Government consider it certain however that, if such a course were decided upon, the Bolsheviki authorities in Petrograd would retaliate, and probably insist that all persons connected with the British Government, including the Embassy, should leave Russia. The results of such a measure, both to individual British subjects in Russia and to the relations between the two countries, would of course be most harmful. The situation is thus one of some difficulty, especially as it seems most probable that the course adopted in Great Britain will be extended, as and when opportunity arises, to Italy, France, Japan and the United States. The same problem may consequently be expected to arise in these countries, and the British Government are most anxious to learn as soon as possible what action the United States would propose to adopt towards this propaganda on the part of Bolsheviki representatives, should the case arise in this country. It is no doubt desirable that similar action in dealing with this question should be taken, if necessary, by all the Governments concerned, and enquiries as to their views on the subject are being made also of the French, Italian and Japanese Governments. WASHINGTON, January 16, 1918. File No. 811.111/2004 The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Russia (Francis) [Telegram-Extract] WASHINGTON, February 5, 1918, 8 p. m. 2045. Take visa declarations of alien emigrants of laboring class who entirely convince you by evidence of origin, occupation, and object of emigration that they may safely come to United States, and refer declarations to Department in duplicate with full report in triplicate, where report is necessary, by mail, unless applicant is prepared to defray cost of telegrams. Refuse visa in all other emigrant cases. Obtain previous approval Department before visaing passports of other aliens, including merchants, commercial travelers, and persons en route to other countries through United States, submitting declarations to Department in same manner as in case of alien emigrants. Department desires you to submit to it for its previous approval cases only of persons whose applications for visa you yourself approve. All others should be finally refused visa by you. You may refuse visas finally without referring to Department, if you consider there are sufficient reasons, or if you suspect, though without tangible evidence, the purpose of the journey. Inform Consuls, including Consul at Helsingfors, if possible. Department is likewise telegraphing him, also Vladivostok, direct. POLK File No. 861.00/1088 The Minister in Sweden (Morris) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] STOCKHOLM, February 11, 1918, 4 p. m. 1 [Received February 12, 1.40 a. m.] 1473. Am informed that Kamenev, People's Minister, member Military Revolutionary Committee, and Zalkind, First Assistant Foreign Minister, both officially acting under the instructions of Bolshevik government, arrived Stockholm February 8 for the purpose of spreading Bolshevik propaganda in Sweden, England, and France. Reported that they started to spread Bolshevik propaganda also in Germany but Smolny 1 government officially only named Sweden, England, and France. Smolny has appropriated five million rubles for spreading Bolshevik propaganda in foreign countries and it is supposed they have access to these funds. They arrived in Stockholm by boat from Mäntyluoto in Finland. With reference to published Berlin reports regarding accomplished separate peace with Ukraine Kamenev in Swedish press states that Ukraine Rada delegates, who agreed to the peace, now cannot officially represent Ukraine because recently Ukraine Soviets overthrew Rada and are in absolute control there and peace must now be concluded from Smolny. MORRIS - Smolny Institute was used by the Bolsheviks as their headquarters. |