File No. 861.00/2890
The Consul at Moscow ( Poole) to the Secretary of State 1
[Received October 5, 8.30 p.m.]
4. Reference my No. 3.2 Following is [summary of a] translation of a telegram which according official gazette has been sent by Commissar of Home Affairs to all Soviets under date of September 2:
Murder of Volodarski and Uritski, attempt on Lenin and shooting of masses of our comrades in Finland, Ukraine, the Don, and Czecho-Slavia, continual discovery of conspiracies in our rear, open acknowledgment of right Social Revolutionist Party and other counterrevolutionary rascals of their part in these conspiracies together with insignificant extent of serious repressions and shooting of masses of White Guards and bourgeoisie on the part of the Soviets, all these things show that notwithstanding frequent pronouncements urging mass terror against the Social Revolutionists, White Guards, and bourgeoisie no real terror exists.
Such a situation should decidedly be stopped, should be put to weakness and softness. All right Social Revolutionists known to local Soviets should be arrested immediately. Numerous hostages should be taken from the bourgeois and officer classes. At the slightest attempt to resist or the slightest movement among the White Guards, shooting of masses of hostages should be begun without fail. Initiative in this matter rests especially with the local executive committees.
Through the militia and the Extraordinary Commission, all branches of government must take measures to seek out and arrest persons hiding under false names and shoot without fail anybody connected with the work of the White Guards. All above measures should be put immediately into execution. Indecisive action on the part of local Soviets must be immediately reported to People’s Commissar of Home Affairs.
Not the slightest hesitation or the slightest indecision in using mass terror. Petrovski, Commissar of Home Affairs.
Official gazette, September 4, also contains following:
As Soviet workers have been arrested in Archangel and repression committed by English against communists, Extraordinary Commission has arrested as hostages wife of Kerensky, his two sons, mother and niece.