Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-08-15
Official Dispatches From AM
erICan Consul Poole Reveal
An Amazing Trend of
Events in Ancient Moscow,
MEMBERS BRITISH AND
FRENCH MISSIONS HELD
Citizens of France and Eng
land Arrested By BoIShe-
wiki Their Purpose TO Hold
Them as Hostages,
loy aoeplao IouanAl srselAl lrAsso

Jay MORNING IousNAL srEeIAL LEASED w,ss1
Washington, Aug, 14,--Offieial dis
patches today from American Consul
General Poole in Moscow, lifted the
curtain for moment and revealed an
amazing train Of events in that city.
Consul General Poole. after Witness
ing the violation Of the French and
British consulates and the arrests OF
the consuls 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, at 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 that they would hold them
as hostages because of the attack on
the soviet government by British and
French troops at Arrhangel
Members of the French and British
military missions stationed in Moscow
were refused permission to leave the
country in spite of a previous promise
OF safe conduct.
It is possible that since the sending
of Consul General Poole telegrams,
which began on July 30 ana continued
until August G. the situation may
nave changed, because 1t is reported
that Lenine and Trotzky, the Bolshe-
WIKI leaders, have fled and the soviet
government in Moscow may have been
oveFthrown
Should the aituation be unchanged.
the American consul generals action
in turning his office over TO Sweden
will not affect the status OF other
American consuls In Russia, us they
have been working with the local gov
ernments throughout Russia where
pro-ally feeling Is strong
story Told In Sequence.
The story is told in sequence in the
state departments official announce
ment of its adyices from Mr.. Poole.
1t follows:
The department of state now has
received several telegrams from Com
SUI General Poole at Moscow concern
ing recent events in that city. Follow
ing Is summary Of them:
'One OF the kilograms states that on
July 80 Lenine declared repeatedly be-
fore an official gathering of the So
vets that state of war existed be-
tween the Russia republic and tho
allIed powers. Because of this the Dip
lomatic representative in Moscow of
Great Britain and the consular rep
resentatiyes of France, italy and the
United states visited the commlssariat
for foreign affairs and inquired if Le-
nlne's deelaration should not be con-
sidered declaration of war, involv-
ing the rupture of de facto relations
ana the departure of the consul,
sTchitcherin said that it need not be Sc
understood; that 1t was a state Of de-
Tense rather than a state of war and
that the government desired to con-
tinue its relations with the entente. y.
Legislation Must BE Public.
The consuls demanded that to be
acceptable any legislation must be
publicly made by the head of the gov
ernment himself, They also pointed
out that the question was inseparable
from that of the departure of the
members of the former military mis-
sion After having agreed to facilitate
the departure Of these persons, in ac-
cordance with International law, the
government, they said, had raised alb :
solutey inadmissable objections. The
foreign representatives also stated
they could not see In this attitude any,
thing but confirmation of Lenine's
declaration of the existence of a state
of war Tchitcherin said he would give
reply within three days.
"On the night OF August End, re-
ply was received from Tchitcherin. 1t
stated that inasmuch as Lenine's ut
terances were made Dehind closed
doors in a meeting at which an agent
OF the allies could be present only
owing to a spetial courtesy on the part
90 fha cfviat pnynrnpnant rnhlir ay
plantations could not be given. AS to
the members of the military missions
Tchitcherin said that negotiations had
been begun with the German authori-
ties to procure safe passage from
Petrograd to Stockholm.
Franco-Britsh Arrested.
"a third report from Consul Gem
oral Poole refers to the arrests of Brit
ish and French citizens at MOSCOW.
on the afternoon of August 5. there
was a conference between TchitcehiI
and the consuls general of Japan. Swe-
den and the United States with the
following results:
First, the soviet government gave
solemn assurances that allied persons
having diplomatic or unofficial char
acter would not be molested: second,
Tchitchern stated that the allied mill
tary missions would not be allowed to
depart, as had already been promised;
third, that civil persons arrested were
hostages for the lives of soviet MEM
bers in territory occupied by the all
lies. Tchitcherin said that these per-
sons are civil prisoners arrested, in
accordance with the practices of war,
for internment. He added that no re-
sponsibility could be assumed for their
future safety because Great Britain
and France had attacked ArchangeIi
without a declaration Of war.
Poole Warns Tchitcherin.
Mr.. Poole stated that he was with-
out knowledge of what had taken