Poole to Lansing on Soviet propaganda against German occupational forces in Russia File No. 861.00/2070 [Telegram] Petrograd, June 8, 1918 [Received June 17, 12:47 p.m.] 617.     Official Soviet gazette to-day prints note of Mirbach, dated 6th, which, after citing in answer to "continual unfounded complaints of Russian Government regarding supposed infraction of existing regulations by German commanding staff" various alleged aggressive and improper acts by Red Army, continued as follows:   Russian Government is carrying on public propaganda against Germany in radiograms addressed to its diplomatic representative at Berlin.   For instance, on May 21, in radiogram No. 254, it stated that German military authorities dissolved town council [Soviets] at Nikolaev, that there were strikes at Ekaterinoslav and strikers had been replaced by Austrians.   On May 20 it stated Germans were defeated by peasant uprising in Chernigov government, that Skoropadski issued order to shoot leaders of rising, that fighting took place incident to disbanding of Polish detachment near Kiev and both sides suffered severe losses.   Radiogram of May 17 mentions disturbances among German troops, German division supposed to have refused to go to French front and its action to have met with sympathy in other German units. Same radio states that Wesenberg German troops protesting against continuance of war arrested and killed some of their officers.   All these communications are pure inventions having propaganda purpose. Our troops have right to be protected against such reproaches and the behavior of the Russian Government is all the more striking as nothing is known of similar conduct toward the allied powers or with regard to the violation of international law through the presence of Allied troops on Arctic coast.     [Last paragraph not yet transcribed] Poole Documents on US Foreign Policy in Russia [Subject] [Author] [Date]