New-York tribune., 1918-09-19
Document No. 81

tCoUnteF ESploN0Ce OF the StdrhG
To the Commission on Combating
the Counter Revolutions: Command
er IN Chief Krilenko has requested
the counter espionage at the staff to
inform you that it is necessary to
order the following persons to the
Rumanian front Immediately: From
Petrograd. Commissar Kuhl, Social
lst Rakovsky. Sailor Guieshn, and
from the front the chief of the Red
Guard, Durasov These persons
should be supplied with literature
and with financial resources for agi-
tation- To them is committed the
task of taking all measures for the
deposing of the Rumanian King and
the removal OF counter revolution-
ary Rumanian officers. Director of
Counter Espionage Feierabend; Sec
rotary, N. Drachev.
Note.-This marks the beginning of
large scale work to disorganize the
Rumanlan army. That in its early
winter phases 1t advances disappoint-
lngly to Germany is evidenced by
vengeful steps taken later by General
Hoffman and Trotzkv from Brcst-
Litovsk, when in the middle of Janu-
ary Trotzky. at the request of General
Hoffman, ordered the arrest in Petro-
grad of the Rumanian Minister Dia-
I,
written by Joffe, were telegraphed to
Washington in February and photo
graphic copy of letter forwarded.
At about the same time the Ruma-
Man public gold reserves in custody
within the Kremlin walls at Moscow.
were seized by the Russian govern
ment piamandi was released from
arrest at the demand of the united
diplomatic delegations at Petrograd,
hiit h,V,,, - l,r4,
January Is he was ordered from Pet
rograd. being given less than ten
hours to prepare for the departure Of
party that contained many women
and children. Ambassador Francis
sought in vain of Lalkind, who was act
ing as Foreign Minister in the absence
of Trotzky, again at Brest-Litovsk. for
an extension of the time of departure.
The Rumanian party was thrown pell-
nell on train at midnight 1t was
delayed in Finland on one excuse and
another, not Immediately apparent,
but In three weeks the minister, leav-
ing behind large part of his people
was allowed TO proceed TO Tornco BY
good luck he reached there the dav
after the Red Guard lost Torneo to the
White Guard. That day saved his life,
Tor on the person of Svetlitzsky, a
Russian commissar who Joined him in
mld-Finland and accompanied him to
Torneo, was found an order to limo
feyetf, the Commissar at Torneo. to
shoot him. Svetitzsky was shot in
stead. When | passed through Tornco
the control officer talked frankly about
the details, expressing the opinion that
the shooting might have been a mis-
take. as 1t was not shown that Svetlitz-
sky was aware of the contents of the
letter Svethtzsky. however. was an
important person in Petrograd, close to
Irotzky Our American party brought
Guranesco, the first secretary Of the
Rumanlan delegation. out of Finland
through the lines with us. He had
been in Red Finland seven weeks. Be
hind us at Biorneborg we left several
families of Rumanians who had de-
parted from Petrograd with the minis
ter. We would have liked to have
brought them through the lines of the
TWO armies, but our venture was too
desperate to permit unauthorized add
tions to the party.
The marginal notation on this letter
is Execute" initiallcd "Ch," the sign
manual of Chicherin, the returned
exile from England at that time AS
Sistant Minister of Foreign Affairs,
now Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Have photograph of letter.
*Letter from Jofe at Brest-