File No. 861.00/2788
The Consul at Moscow ( Poole) to the Secretary of State 2
[Received September 26, 5.05 a.m.]
6. Arrived Petrograd 13th to confer with Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires concerning asylum of French and British in the Consulate General reported my No. 5. He returns to Moscow with me to-day. In view of release Litvinov by England, departure of British and French representatives may possibly be arranged.
Americans continue to enjoy relatively favorable position though less so than formerly. Bolsheviks say they are aware of presence of [Page 672] American troops in north but that they have not yet come actively in contact with Soviet units. There is similar effort to dissociate Japanese from other Allies. Even in the case of America this policy is more or less artificial and, as shown by Simmons’s1 experience at Vologda, will inevitably give way under rotten [omission]. From reports true or untrue of actual conflicts to [and] repressions such as those now being practised against British and French, see my No. 7,2 old policy of relative friendliness to America will also be unfavorably influenced from now on by development of alliance with Germany disclosed in the supplementary treaties.
For these reasons am bending every effort to complete evacuation of Americans from central Russia. Still about fifteen who can probably be gotten to go and as many more who will not leave under any circumstances. One American, Beaudrie, in prison charged with speculation in food products would have been shot if Russian [omission].