Recalled

The State Department of the U. S. ordered its Consulate at Vladivostok to close its doors. The personnel is to proceed to Tokyo as soon as the Consulate affairs are wound up, and will wait there for further orders.

This decision was made known by the State Department without comment. It is believed, however, that the step was considered advisable, owing to the Soviet Government's decision to close a number of foreign consulates at Vladivostok. At first there was no mention of closing the United States Consulate, but recently it became known that the Moscow authorities were preparing to cancel the exequatur of S. Pinkley Tuck, the Consul, granted by a former Russian Government.

The reason for the Soviet decision is not clear. A report from Tokyo states that Consul Tuck was obliged to close the Consulate because a deportation order had been issued against him on account of a sale of arms to the Whites (anti-Bolshevist forces). There is probably no truth in this report, however.

Unofficial representation was made by the Far Eastern Republic, whose Government is at Tehita, to the Moscow Government, representing it to permit the United States Consulate to remain; so far no answer has been received. It was stated that the State Department had no desire to close the Consulate, but acted in deference to Soviet wishes.

Vladivostok is a port on the Sea of Japan situated at the extreme southeast of the territory known as the Far Eastern Democratic Republic, which is in reality nothing more than a self-governing province of Soviet Russia.