File No. 861.00/1413
The Minister in China (Reinsch) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 2, 5.55 p.m.]
Consul telegraphs from Harbin that telegram received there from Macgowan, Huntington, Drysdale, Morton,1 runs in substance as follows:
Train of forty-eight cars carrying about 800 prisoners armed by Bolsheviks with machine guns, bound from western Siberia to Dauria to aid Bolsheviks against Semenov, was seen by them passing through Irkutsk.
Consul at Chita telegraphs 400 prisoners there have voted to join Bolsheviks, 1,000 workmen have voted against opposing Semenov and approved entry of international troops. Workmen near Irkutsk voted in similar way. Consul urges immediate decision intervention and suggests sending agents to western Siberia to acquire supplies.
Second telegram from Drysdale and Huntington reads as follows:
President of Council of Workmen-Soldiers admits arming of prisoners of war by the Bolsheviks to fight Semenov who is regarded as international force interfering with internal affairs. This admission made to our Consul who vainly protested against arming prisoners of war.
- William Morton, Vice Consul at Harbin.↩