Evening star., 1918-06-01
CIVIL WAR HALTED
FOR AMERICANS
S""S
Finns Respect Truce to En-
able United States Refugees
to Cross Lines.
By HJALMAR LUNDBERG.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening
Star and Chicago Daily Newa.

SPECIAL kSOffeSPOn0enCe OF I'he Evening
!. Star and Chicago Daily News.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 10
How the last group of Americans to
leave Petrosrad for Sweden made the
trip across Finland and finally reach
ed safety in this haven of refuge for
harassed nationalities is being told
over. and over again in Stockholm
wherever Americans gather. The
party arrived in Stockholm on the eve
of Easter. March 80. The American
minister. Ira Nelson Morris, and the
members of the legation staff met
their fellow countrymen at the rail-
way station.
Conditions in Pet-ograd became
worse every day. The approach of
the Germans and the danger of get
ting killed by bolshevik bullets flying
around the streets in Pe:rograd oblig-
ed the Americans to make up their
mind and leave. The choice of routes
was limited to the east through ST.
IBERIA. fortnight's trip exposed to
the uncertainty of what the Russian
soldiery might do. or to the north.
through Finland. where the red and
white guards are engaged in a merci-
less civil war The majority of the
americans whose immediate destina-
sASh WoS uoHiC CuOSc Cn0 route
through Siberia. while those whose
business kept them in Europe CHANGED
the vicissitudes of Finland.
Ship Project Given Up.
= The exodus from Petrograd began
about the end of February. The
American legation in Stockholm did
everything possible to facilitate their
r1a III
small result. Minister Morris char
tered ship to bring the Americans
from one of the ports in the south of
Finland to Sweden, but the ice at this
month of the year is especially dam
gerous-one of the biggest Swedish
ships IN help expedition was crush
ed by the ice and sunk-and this prof.
oct had to be Cancelled
during this time the Americans be-
eieged the red military authorities in
Finland to let them pass the lines
toward the white troops. At this mo-
ment the Germans disembarked upon
the isles of Aland and Prof. Henry c.
Emery Of the Guarantee Trust Com
pany OF New York and some British
subjects who took the risk of this
route were consequently made prison
ers and are now in Germany. Finally,
on March Is, the party reached
b1orneborg. little town on the FIN
n1sn coast, and from there started ne
gottations with the general staff of
tne red guards for permission to pass.
Crosley Visits the White Guards.
The naval attache of the American
embassy in Petrograd Capt Crosley,
efter many tactful negotiations OBJ
tained consent to attempt the passage
from the island of Manty.uto over the
Ice to the coast occupied by the white
guards After having been hunted
around like jackrabbits for a month
II was with. cheerful relief that the
members OF the party set ou: on the
dramatic expedition on Sunday morn
ing, March "a. Capt Cros.ey. another
member OF the party and a woman in
ferpreter started off for the front line
tbout six miles away
(. The red" chief of this section tried
Tempt to pass. assuring them that the
whole party would be shot down by
the whites" With a white flag and
IN American flag the three messen-
gers waited an hour for a response
from the other side. Meanwhile the
left at distance of half an hours
horse ride to cease firing. Then the
three parlamentaries started across
the ice with team borrowed from
the reds"
The distance between the two hos
less than fifteen minutes Capt. Cros-
ley was having his first parleys with
the white" soldiers. who politely in
formed him he would be unable to
return After some conferences at
headquarters, however. he obtained
permission to convey the rest of the
party from Mantylnoto to the white"
Hines.
Party Gets Ready to Leave.
In less than thirty minutes the
whole party was ready to leave and
the caravan of eleven teams crossed
the ice to a point half way between
the hostile lines. The sun was get
ting low and the thermometer sink
red guards headed the party and at
the arrival he planted the fags in the |
3ee. waited until the party of sixteen
persons and eighty pieces of baggage
were all assembled and then, shak- |
1ng his head. returned home. taking
the teams and the horses with him.
The American party now waited for
the teams from the whites to fetch
them cyer this no mans land" Of ice |
In the neighborhood lay several dead
men belonging to the reds" who
Deized the occasion to get permission
through the American party to take
their dead home. Not a rifle had been
0red since IL o'clock. and 1t was the
drDt time In the course Of this civil
War that a truce had been established
Between the whites" and the reds"
: German Firms Show Hostility.
The Americans were received very
politely by the whites" who treat
ID them altogether like friends
Teams were occurred for the continua-
ton OF the voyage to Kristinestad.
where they were met by. the military