New-York tribune., 1920-08-18
Reds Hold IS americans
As Hostages in Moscow
Refugees Among 1000 Awaiting Action by Their
Home Governments; Plight Used Club to
Compel Washington to Recognize Soviet

TERIJOKI, Finland, Russian From
tier, Aug. (By The Associated Press).
"A thousand foreigners, including
thirty-five Americans, are now at Mos
COW hoping for action by their gov
ernmcnts to get them out of Russia
before winter sets in. They include.
besides the Americans, 700 French, 100
British and 100 Scandinavans.
Aside from the thirty-fivc Of un-
doubted American citizenship, there are
Il large number claiming American
citizenship who have gathered from all
parts of Russia because Of the impos-
sible living conditions and who are
awaiting Bolshevik permission to de-
part. They are the last of Russia s
pre-war foreign resident population.
Inquiries by The Associated Press
correspondent, prior to his deportation
to Finland from Moscow because he had
not received advance Soviet authoriza-
ton for o trip from Vladivostok to the
Soviet capital, developed that many for
cigners have been refugees in Moscow
for more than year A trainload Of
French once was sent to the Russian
frontier and then returned because of
the attitude of the French government
toward the Bolshevils.
Americans Virtual Hostages
The Americans in Moscow say their
status is worse than that Of the citizens
Of any other country. They are held
virtually as hostages, while the Soviet
tries to force Washington to negotiate
officially with Moscow or the Bolshevk
agents.
The officials of the Bolshevik Foreign
Office consider the United States the
most uncompromising of all nations in
her attitude toward the Soviet although
not as antagonistic as the British or
French
Five Americans are known to be i'm
Dr. A. ". Stickney gcologist, and his
wife, who recently arrived from
Siberia. The others are Royal c.
Keely, man named Lamark and a
naturalized American Greek named
Calimidianov, who has been imprisor,ed
year and a half, charged with being
spy.
The prisoners are inaccessible and
little is known of their condition.
II. d. L. Reyaolds, an American mining
engineer, is not permitted to leave
Sempalatlnsk. Siberia, the Bolsheviki
demanding his services there.
half dozen other Americans have
been imprisoned in Moscow at differ
en5 times in the last two years.
Inc Americans stranded in Russia
are for the most part longtime resi-
dents who did not leave in the fall of
1918, when the United States diplomats
withdrew. Some lacked the finances
necessary for the trip to Siberia and
the Far East, which was the only exit.
while others were i'll or lived in dis
tant provinces.
Pleas to Soviet Futile
Since the consular Offices departed
there has been no official method of
negotiation with the Bolshey:ki. In
dlVidual appeals to the Foreign Office
met with the reply that Americans
would not be permitted to leave Rus
sia until the American authorities
would negotiate with the Soviet leaders
regarding their repatriation. plobably
involving terms of exchange for Com
munlstS in the United States. Arar-
chist deportees who already have or
rived in Russia from America are de
ciarcd not wanted.
The Americans in Russia ~ecentlv
nominated H. c. Carlson, a former bus
mess representative in Moscow, to reg
lster the Americans and handle their af
fairs with the Soviet authorities.
The list of thirty-fve includes
only those having passports or papers
proving citizenship. 1t does not include
hundred others wishing to return to