Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-29
AMERICAN SUPPLIES NOT
TO GET into ENEMY HANDS
Ships Already on Way to Russia
From This Country Can he
Diverted by Wireless.
DEVELOPMENTS ARE AWAITED
Allied Diplomats VIII Withdraw
From Petr0grad ON Confirmation
Of Report Tint BOlsl,cviki Arc
Negotiating With Germany.
II,y A.sncintcn pr.ss.l

WASHINGTON. November 2S.---Ih"re
viii bc 10 formal announcement; for
the present OF the attitude Of the
united States ana III" allied nations
toward The Bolshcviki regime q. Pet
roGrad The american government Is
waiting both for official information
about the relations OF the Eolshcviki
leaders with German army officers and
for further developments IN the tan
glcd situation throughout RUSSIA.
In the meantime. the only official
expression has boon made in state
mcnt to the Russian general staff b.
Lieutenant Colonel Jidson. head of the
American military mission. giving
warning that tho logical outcome OF
The movements fer an armistice and
peace will he the cutting of Of The
American supplies. This statement
waa made without instructions from
Washington. but officials said today |,
summarized the situation accurately"
Steps already aave been taken to
iorcstall the possibility Of any part
Of The vast stores OF supplies bought
in this country for Russia falling into
enemy hands. Some ships are on the
way. but they can be diverted by wire
loss at any ii'nc.
OF course official connrr,ation Of .he
ncns that German staff officers arr IN
pctroErad advising Leninc and his toll
lowers and that some OF tho Bolsheviki
actually have crossed the German Dor
der % talk armistice ANA peace. will
make ~ necessary TO recognize the
i'ctroGred radicals as enemies. This
would make il noccs2c:y for the Amer
ican and allied diplomats iinrnediatci.
to withdraw. either 10 q neutral co'in-
try or 10 some other part OF nussia
Yesterdays news dis patches. saying
German stan officers sctualiy were in
Peirograd actively engaged a3 adj
viscrs I" I.cninc, followed by to-day's
news cables that Doishcviki leaders.
had crossed into the German lines for
conferences with the German military
authorities. were no; wholly unexpected
TO officials here. bat thcy shattered the
faint hope that the Boishev!Ei !nlent in
the end. after all, help carry on tho
war against Prussian m!liia.ism
The developments more than con-
ARMED the contention OF those who have
held from the first tli0t the Bo!sheviki
was fost"red by German pcopaganda
seeking 10 break Russia from her al
lies.
one OF the FIRST ac,s az the allied
that tho Boishc,iki arc actively work
ing with til" Germans. undoubtedly viii
be to withdraw their embassies in
Pctrosrnd. This. or courac. Win M e.
cludc American Ambassador francis
WHERE EMBASSIES Will. 60
NOT YET DETERMi' ED
Whether the diplomatic corps would
40 to one of the adjacent neutral coun-
tries TO await dcvclopm .nts. or whether
IL would move 20 some other par; OF
Russia. where II new government con
sidcrcd representative or tho RuSsian
nation. rather than OF an anarch!cal
faction. might be set NJ. has not yet
been determined. That Will he decided
by The Developments in Russia.
Ambassador Francis has a large
measure OF discretion 10 act with others
of the diplomatic corps in PctroErad.
and much Of his course will have TO be
determined without frequent consul,a-
ton with Washington.
To-day tho state Department had no
new adviccs whatever. but was cx-
pccting some on which Judgments
might be formed as 10 the course tho
government will pursue. Meanwhilc
the United States is receiving the bcnc-
1T Of what information the entente
allies ere gathering IL Russia, and
tho course az action when finally
selected Will undoubtedly bc In cunccr,
and the result of Il general agreement
40 official announcement is avail
able at this stage as IL whether the
United States has stopped the ship
mcnt OF supplies TO -.ussia until the
situation clears, because in the absence
Of an official, established break the
government would not care TO confuse
an already complex situation furthc:
by something which possibly might be
source of diplomatic embarrassment
But ii is perfectly apparent that
none of tie immense quantity OF sup
plies contracted for. on the way. or
actually landed in some parts OF RIs-
STA Will he permitted to fail into the
hands Of the Bolshcviki II they become
the allies of Germany.
Immense quantities of material al
ready piled up at Nladivostok are an
available to the Russians because OF
the paralysis OF the transportation syS-
tom. Ships on the high seas. bearing
cargoes for Russia. can be reached nj
any time by wireless, and cargocs be-
ing prepared in this country can easily
lie diverted to some other ally for use
if it ia desired to do so.
The statement made yesterday ,o
the Russian general staff by Lieu
Tenant Colonel Judson. head of tho
American military mission, to the effec
that the stopping of shipments to Rus
STA will he the logical outcome of the
Bolsheviki efforts for an armistice,
and peace. is regarded by officials here
as summing up tho situation accurate
~ and goes as far as is possible il
Hn official expression 1T this time.