The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-08-29
BOLSHEvIk WAR
EDICT ALARMS US.
CONSUL ROBERT w. lMBRlE, OF
PETRoGRAD SAYS BOLsHEVIkI
DECLARE WAR ON U. S.
TROOPS LAND AT VLADIv0STOK
Mr.. lmbrie Closed Consulate and
Turned over Affairs of United
States to Norwegian Consul.

Washington.-Dispa received
from Russia recently were of a some
what disturbing nature to state de-
partment officials. Vice-Consul Robert
w. Imbrie, Petrograd, reported in
delayed dispatch that members of the
Bolshevik government at the former
Russian capital had issued a pronun-
ciamento declaring a state of war be-
tween Russia and the United States.
In view of the Bloshevik declara
ton, Mr.. Imbrie reported in his dis
patch, dated August 2, that he had
lowered the United States flag over
the consulate, and, following the re-
cent action of Consul General Poole
at Moscow, closed the consulate and
turned over affairs of the United
States to the Norwegian consul.
Announcement in a dispatch from
France of the appointment of two In
ternational councils. one at Archangel
and the other at Vladivostok, however.
counterbalanced the unfavOrable news.
Ambassador Francis, as dean of the
diplomatic corps, will act as the pre-
the other members of which will be
diplomatic representatives of the AL
lied nations. The personnel of the
.Vladivostok council is not yet CON-
plete.
Persecution of the few Americans
in Petrograd for the 10 days prior to
dispatch of Consul Imbries cablegram
made state department officials appre.
hensive as to their safety. Oficials
regard 1t as evident that further mess
ages from the consul have been held
up by the Bolsheviki.
The reference in Consul Imbrie'g
dispatch to declaration of war
authorities, however, was regarded
most seriously by officials.
News Taken Seriously.
1t was suggested that the speech OF
Minister of War Trotzky in Moscow
late in July. in which he declared that
a state of war existed between Russia
and Great Britain. France and their
Allies and which Foreign Minister
Tchitcherin modified. in response to
an inquiry by Consul General Poole
to state of defense against the AL
lies, was the real basis for the latest
development in Petrograd
II was thought that on receipt of
the report OF Trotzky's speech Petro.
| grad Bolshevik authorities interpreted
It as they saw fit and issued their de-
claration of war against the United
| States.
More v. s. Troops Arrive.
The announcement by Secretary
Baker of the arrival of the Thirty-first
regiment, regulars, United States In
fantry at Vladivostok brings the mill
| tary representation of the United
States at that port to two full regi.
ments. arrival of the Twenty
infantry having been announced sew
eral days ago. Secretary Baker said
that Major General William s. Graves,
who is to command the American
contingent, had not yet arrived at
Vladivostok.
Re-establishment OF civil govern
ment at Vladivostok and Archangel
will be the first task Of the interna-
tional councils, 1t was said by officials
here, who pointed out that such action
at Vladivostok would allow military
commands to devote themselves ex-
clusively to clearing that region be-
tween Irkutsk and the Pacific of the
Bolshevik and their Allies. liberated
German and Austrian prisoners.
q This accomplished, the work of the
Vladivostok commission would be to
push westward and eventually co
ordinate with the commission at Arch.
angel.