The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-23
.bOLSHEV|K WAR ]. DECLARATION 0N
 U. s. ANNOUNCED. Fear Felt by Officials for Safety of Americans Who
 Are Still in Petrograd
AMERICAN CONSUL
 STICKING TO POST
United States Affairs Turned Over to Norwegian Consul, and Amer jeans Are Warned to Leave
 the Country at Once

Washington, August P. Dispatches from Russia today were of somewhat disturbing
 nature to state department of | ficials. Consul Robert w. Im- Ibrie, at Petrograd, reported in a delayed dispatch that mem
 bers of the bolshevik. govern iment at the former Russian
 capital had issued pronuncia-
 mento declaring state of war existed between Russia and the United States.
 In view of the bolshevik declaration Mr. Imbrie reported in his dispatch.
 dated August 2, that he had lowered tho l United States flag over the consulate and following the recent action Of Con- l sul General Poole at Moscow closed the I consulate and turned over the affairs Of ! the United States to the Norwegian con- su1. Americans in Petrograd, believed to number about 20. were warned to leave. Consul Imbries dispatch said, although l the consul indicated he would remain at
 his post until he had received instrucr l tions from the state department. Announcement in dispatch from France of the appointment of two i'm ternational councils, one at Archangel and the other at vladivostok. however, counter balanced the unfavorable news contained in the dispatch from Petro- grad Ambassador Francis, as dean of 1 the diplomatic corps. will act as the pre- siding officer of the Archangel council. l the other members of which will be tho diplomatic representatives of the allied nations. The personnel of the yladi- vostok council is not yet complete. Great
 Britain will be represented by Sir Charles Elliott as high commissioner at Viadi- vostok Japan by Minister Matsudaira and France by Eugene Regnault. Con- l sul Caldwell will be the American mem Der until President Wilson designates a representative.
 FEAR FOR SAFETY
 l Persecution of the few Americans ;n | Idispatch of Consul Imbrie's cablegram
 made state department officials appre- lhensive as to their safety. Officials rer 1 garded it as evident that further mes-
 sages from the consul have been held up 1 by the bolshevik.
 The reference in Consul Imbrie's dis patch to decla ration of war against | the United States by the bolshevik au- 1 thorities, however, was regarded most
 seriously by officials It was suggested | the speech of Minister of War Trotzky at Moscow late in July, in which he de- clared that a state of war existed be- tween Russia and Great Britain and l France and their allies and which For
 eign Minister Tchitcherin modified, in i response to an inquiry by Consul Gen. l eral Poole to a state of defense against 1 the allies. was the real basis for tho 1 latest development in Petrograd Ii 1 was thought that upon receipt of the report of Trotzky's speech. the Petro- grad bolshevik authorities interpreted lit as they saw fit and issued their
 declaration of war against the United l States.
 ESCAPE DOUBTFUL
 l Whether the Americans in Petrograd l will be able to escape was doubtful, lit was said, despite the recent agree ment with the Finnish government l'whereby Americans leaving Russia might have safe passage through Fin land Officials here pointed out that l the Films would be unable to protect l Americans against German officials l and soldiers who are now in control I in Finland
 | The announcement by Secretary Baker today of the arrival of the Thirty-frst regiment, regulars. United States infan- 1 try. at Vladivostok brings the military l representation of the United States at that port to two full regiments. the ar- trival of the Twenty seventh infantry having been announced several days ago.
 Secretary Baker said Major General Will { Ham s Graves, who is to command the
 American contingent. had not yet arrived fat Nladivostok.
 1 Re-cstablishment of civil government at lyladivostoS and Archangel will be the 1 first sasA Of the intaruag ional councii Iis was said, by officials here, who point led out that such action at vladivostok
 would allow the military commands to
 devote themselves exclusively to clear ing the region around Irkutsk of the boi- sheyiki and their allies. liberated Ger man and Austrian prisoners. This ac- ccn,plished, the work of the vladivostok
 commission would be to push westward
 and eventually coordinate with the com
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