Pleasant A. Stovall to Robert Lansing

Title

Pleasant A. Stovall to Robert Lansing

Creator

Stovall, Pleasant A., 1857-1939

Identifier

WWP25381

Date

1918 October 30

Description

Letter about Bolshevik threat to Europe.

Source

Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers

Publisher

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum

Subject

World War, 1914-1918--United States
Soviet Union--History--Revolution, 1917-1921

Contributor

Danna Faulds

Relation

WWP25380

Language

English

Provenance

Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.

Text

ERR SPECIAL GREEN.

Pontarlier, Berne.
Dated Oct. 30, 1918.
Recd. Nov. 1, 3:40 a. m.

Secretary of State,
Washington.

Important. 5487. October 30, 12 a. m.
Confidential. George D. Herron reports interview with David Soskic, former secretary of Keransky in Russia, presented to Herron and vouched for by chief of British Intelligence Service in Switzerland. Soskic believes there is an imminent and serious Bolsheviki menace in Europe in interest of Germany. Agents have slipped into France and Italy supplied with funds amounting to one hundred and fifty million marks. Madam Balibanoff, a Russian, has gone to Italy with ten million marks to spread propaganda.

According to Soskic, Germany hopes for continuance peace conversations and out break of Bolshevikism in Italy, France and Austria, whereupon Germany will become savior of civilization and rally all Conservative forces of Europe. Herron states: “If Germany, by subsidizing now every subversive movement or, can, during the winter, forment a common disorder throughout Europe, such as she produced in Roumania, even though it be of a lesser degree , she can still hope to rally her forces under the banner of the defender of European society and civilization, the society and civilization which she will have underminded in order to save herself by defending it. Herron suggests giving this matter publicity in order counteract spread of propaganda.

STOVALL.

C.S.

Original Format

Letter

To

Lansing, Robert, 1864-1928

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/WWI1326A.pdf

Collection

Citation

Stovall, Pleasant A., 1857-1939, “Pleasant A. Stovall to Robert Lansing,” 1918 October 30, WWP25381, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.