Evening star., 1918-07-08
SOON TO ANNOUNCE
!. PLANS FOR RUSSIA
President Continues Con-
/, ferences on American
Policy.
EVENTS STIR TO ACTION

Intfmations were made in official
quarters in Washington today that
formal announcement in regard to
the present attitude of the United
States government toward Russia
may be expected shortly.
Conferences are continuing at the
White House between President Will
son and men who are informed about
Russia. and also with government
officials who might be expected to
have a part in any action that might
be planned.
Events have been moving rapidly In
the last few days to bring about sucH
a change in the Russian situation
that the new conditions seem 70
presage an early formulation in the
policy of the United States, according
to the unofficial view.
Principal among these events is the
assassination of Count Won Mirbach.
1t is possible that the incident might
be seized upon by Germany, as was
that at Serajevo, and made the ex-
cuse for further extension of Ger7
man military invasion and control IN
Russia.
Naturally the program of military
and economic intervention adopted by
the supreme allied war council would
have a strcTg bearing on the future
attitude of l.-e United States.
Other Incidents Having Bearing.
Other incidents which may have a
bearing on the policy now under con-
sideration, and expected to be an
nounced at any time, are:
Revolt of the people of the Murman
coast against the bolsheviki.
Reports that Czecho-S Slovak troops
in Siberia are engaged in diSarmlng
the bolsheviki.
Cutting of of intercourse between
Ambassador Francis and the State De-
partment.
So far there has been no official
statement of any kind to throw light
upon the important decision reached
Saturday when President Wilson dis
cussed with the heads of the State.
War and Navy departments and the
chief military and naval officers, the
urgent appeals of the allies for joint
action in Russia. Unofficially. how
ever. word went forth that definite
policy of action had been determined
upon that would end the long period
of waiting that followed the rise of
the bolsheviki
Discretion Prompts Silence.
The understanding here has been
that for military reasons for the
present, at least. there would be no
announcement of the exact nature of
any movement to be undertaken under
the new policy. The task of working
out details and deciding what to make
public and when is said to have been
left to the supreme war council at
Paris.
Leaders among the people of the
Murmau coast reCently aDDeafed to
the allied consuls. including the
American counsul at Kola. for protec-
ton. German troops are reported to
the southwark on the railroad leading
to the arctic at KoIa. and the failure
of the bolshevik government to resist
the penetration of the enemy has led
the inhabitants to adopt their own
measures of defense
With American. British and French
naval forces guarding large store
of war supplies at kola and along the
railroad, the Thurman coast is one of
the possible fields for operations by
the allies in the east under the new
policy toward Russia believed to have
been approved by President Wilson at
the recent White House conference.
In the absence of any word from
Ambassador Francis since June "a, the
State Department has been obliged to
rely upon the most indirect and un-
satisfactory reports of what is going
on In Russia. The last message from
the ambassador reported the arrest of
local civil authorities of Archangel
capital of the province of that name
in which Kola is located. The boil
sheviki had seized the officials on
charges of disloyalty. and some of the
prisoners passed through Vologda,
where Ambassador Francis is located
on their way to Moscow.
Will Aid Czecho-Slovak Army.