The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-07-12
Baron Boris Nolde Tells of
Three-Week Reign of Ter
ror in Petrograd
FOREIGNERS HELD
FOR EXCHANGE
Opponents of Bolsheviki Unarmed and
Unable to Resist - Famine Among
Worl6men Because Factories Are Idle
A Fuel Famine Also.

WASHINGTON, July 12-The state
department announced today that ad
vices had been received that about
$4,000 persons were seized and held as
hostages at Petrograd by the Bolshe
wiki during a recent three week period.
Foreigners, it was learned, We're to be
held for exchange for Bolsheviki,
abroad
The state department s informant was
Baron Baris Nolde who escaped from
Petrograd and made his way to Stock
holm. The report says further that
most classes have turned against the
Bolshevist regime because their condi-
! tion has become worse, rather than bet
ter, but that they were unarmed and
! powerlesS to resist. The state depart
mcnt announcement reads:
/ Imprisonment of approximately 49,
/ 600 people as hostages by the Bolshevist
authorities at Petrograd during three
week period in a recent reign of terror
there, is reported in statement by
| Baron Boris Nolde this week in Stock
+, holm after escape from Petrograd.
According to his statement given TO
the American legation, the foreigners
among this large number of hostages
were to be held for exchange for Boil
sheviki abroad and the Russians among
the hostages were to be held subject t.
exchange for Bolsheviki in the custody
Of the White Arms forces in various
sections of Russia Persons who WerC
arrested at the embassies and Legations
in Petrograd as well as some of the per
sonnet of the Danish organization OF
the Red Cross were among these hos
tages
Unlimited power has been given t,
man named Peters. former head o,
the Moscow commission to combat tn,
Russian revolution, and he is now il
complete charge of the internal defense
of Petrograd.
All the intellectual element as wei
as the peasants and workmen voice
hatred of the Bolsheyist government
but the civil population is unarmedr ariC
poweress The Red army lacks moral
and its Reorganization at the time o
Baron Nolde S departure from Petro
grad was increasing steadily. There wa
famine among the workmen heeaus
the factories had ceased operations
Even the peasants army are said TO b
against the Bolsheviki, but an uprising
among them has been avcrted by III
extreme methods of the Bolsheviki. TIL
peasants are pictured as having been Ell
tirelv dsillusioncd from the dream the
had when Lenin inaugurated in 191
the policy of confiScating large estate
by the fact that the surplus harvest
have been appropriated by the LEM
government for the use of the army an
of the cities and towns. The soldier
are getting pound of black brea
daily, only half a pound being above
to people not in the military forces.
From Russ an sources, including til
Pravda, a newspaper published at Pet
rograd, the department has been advise
that soviet Russia is having a fuel fan
inc. Peters, III charge of internal d,
fenses of Petrograd, has announced h
seizure of a large amount of arms an
n ammunition taken from counter-rev,
# lutionists. Everybody found havin
arms without authority, were ordere
to be shot, along with those in charg
of the buildings where the arms WEI
found. The public telephone service
Pctrograd has been ordered closed. >