The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-15
U. S. CONSUL QUIT
Official at Moscow Turns Affairs
Over to Sweden.
Burned Code Book and De-
manded Safe Conduct.
SAW OTHER CONSUlS SEIZED
French and British Military
Missions Refused Passports.
With Leaine and TrOtzky Gone
Poole May Now Stay.

Washington Aug I5--OfficiaI dis
patches from American Consul Cen
eraI Poole in Moscow have lifted the
curtain for a moment on what has
been going On in Moscow and re-
veaIed an amazing train Of events.
Consul General Poole, after wit
Messing the violation OF the French
and British cousuIates and the arrests
Of the consuIs general and their stAffs.
destroyed his code book and papers
and turned the affairs of the Ameri-
can consulate over to the Swedish con-
sui, AZ the same time demanding safe
conduct from the country for himself
and his associates.
French and British citizens have
been arrested and the Bolsheviki
have announced they would hold them
rs hCsta-es because OF the attack on
the soviet government by British and
French troops 1t ArchaugeL
Members Of the French and British
military missions stationed in MOSCOW
we're refused permission to leave the
country IN spite Of a previous promise
OF safe conduct
Situation May Have Changed.
L is possible that since the sending
Of Consul General Poole's kilograms
which began July 20 and continued
AIL-E aus Isl D. the SlLLaL1Oh MAY nave
changed. because IL is reported that
Leuine and Trotzky. the Bolshevist
leaders, have fled and the Soviet gov
eminent in Moscow may have been
overthrown- IN that event Mr.. Poole
and the entente missions may find
themselves in a better situation.
one Of Consul PooIe's kilograms.
says the state departments announce
meHc, which is similar in character to
previous message received thru other
channels. states that on July % Le-
nine declared repeatedly before an Of
fetal gathering OF the soviets that a
state OF war existed between the Rus
sian republic ard the allied powers.
Eec1use Of this the diplomatic repre-
sentative IN MOSCOW of Great Britain
and the consular representative of
France, Italy and the United States
visited the commissariat for foreign
affairs and inquired II Lenine's decIar-
alton should not be considered a
declaration o. war, involving the rup-
tIre OF &c facto relations and the de-
p1rrure or the consul Tchitcherin
said that II need not be so understood,
rnaL il was a state OF defense rather
rG1n a state OF war, and that the gov
eminent desired TO continue its reIa-
tlous with the entente as it did with
Germany under analogous circum-
stances The consuIs demanded that
10 oe acceptable any explanation must
be publicly made BY the head Of the
government himself
Refused Explanation
On the night Of August 2, word from
TChltcherin stated that inasmuch as
LenIue-s utCerances were made behind
closed doors IN a meeting at which an
agent OF the allies could be present
C7ly owing to a special courtesy on the
part OF the soviet government. public
explanations could not be given about
UOuOT1raEIf- A r-a :
bers OF the military missions. Tchitch-
erin said that negotiations had been
begun with the German authorities 70
procure safe passage from Petrograd
70 Stockholm for these officers. pas
sage thru ArchangeI being impossible
because British cruisers had already
begun the bombardment of the islands
covering ArchangeI