File No. 861.00/2452
The Chargé in Sweden (Whitehouse) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 10, 10.20 a.m.]
2615. Rumanian engineer … just arrived from Kharkov via Moscow, Petrograd, states feeling of bitterness against Germans amongst Ukrainian peasant and working classes growing. German soldiers travel around country only in large squads, otherwise armed bands of peasants attack, attempting to capture them alive and if successful such Germans are tortured by being buried alive. Germans will not succeed in securing food or in organizing Ukrainians into divisions for fighting in west. Number of German occupation troops increasing. He estimated same at between 400,000 and 500,000. Banks now are open and conducting general banking businesses charging 12 per cent commission for withdrawals from old accounts but nothing for withdrawals from new accounts. These measures been successful in drawing large amounts of hoarded money to banks thereby lessening shortage bank notes. When leaving Petrograd he saw barge with hundred elderly men of educated class being taken to Kronstadt but for what purpose he could not ascertain.