Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1918, Russia, Volume II

File No. 861.00/1361

The Ambassador in Russia (Francis) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

Vologda, March 21, 1918.
[Received March 25, 9.35 p.m.]

25. Repeated message from Macgowan¹ hitherto undecipherable confirms Moran’s² report about prisoners at Irkutsk. Summers says Germans advancing from south without resistance. Morris cables Emery³ taken, sent Berlin. Crosley, Stines and others at Björneborg.

Trotsky denies prisoners being armed and Robins¹ credits denial saying Russian officer and Webster² with British officer who en route Irkutsk to investigate going only to convince me that reports of prisoners organizing are untrue.

Francis

1. David B. Macgowan, Consul at Moscow, on detail in Siberia.
2. Hugh Moran, representative of the Y.M.C.A. in Siberia; see vol. i, p. 483.
3. Henry C. Emery, in 1917 American member of the Inter-Ally Priority Board at Petrograd (Michelsen commission), was arrested by German forces Mar. 10, 1918, on the Åland Islands when en route from Petrograd to Stockholm.
1. Lieut. Col. Raymond Robins, in charge of the American Red Cross Commission to Russia.
2. Capt. William B. Webster, member of the American Red Cross Commission to Russia.