Roger Tredwell

Roger Culver Tredwell (July 1885 - July 12, 1961Citation
title = Obituary - Roger C. Tredwell, Retired U.S. Consul
newspaper = The New York Times
date = July 13, 1961
year = 1919] ) was an American diplomat. He received international attention when he was imprisoned in Russian Central Asia by Bolshevik forces shortly after the Russian Revolution.

Diplomatic career

Tredwell had a variety of positions all over the world. In 1914 he was stationed in Bristol, England. In 1915 he served in Italy at Turin and then Rome.Citation
title = Consular Service Changes
newspaper = The Washington Post
date = September 15, 1915
year = 1915] By 1917 he was serving in Russia, at which time he went to Turkestan on a fact-finding mission and was imprisoned. In 1922 he began a three-year tour as United States Consul General at large for Central Asia and AfricaCitation
title = Happenings in East Bay Society
newspaper = Oakland Tribune
date = October 8, 1922
year = 1922] From 1926-1929 he served in Hong Kong, marrying Metta-Louise Orr from New York in 1929.Citation
journal = Time Magazine
date = April 29, 1929
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,769213,00.html
year = 1929] He was then relocated to Stockholm in the early 1930s. [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/traxler-treichler.html Roger Culver Tredwell] The Political Graveyard.]

Imprisonment in Tashkent

In 1918 Tredwell was sent to Tashkent in Russian Central Asia to investigate the political and cotton situation there. At this time, World War I was still raging across Europe. Munitions of the day used cotton "(see nitrocellulose)", however a successful blockade by the British had limited Germany's cotton supply. The Entente powers were concerned that the Germans might try to procure local supplies throughout the former Russian Empire, especially in the Turkestan region, as well as rally political and military support in the area to launch an attack against British India.

Tredwell prepared two reports during that summer after traveling extensively around the region and speaking to many people about the current political and economic situation. cite paper
author = Tredwell, Roger
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Preliminary Report on Cotton Situation
version =
publisher = U.S. Department of State
date = May 11, 1918] cite paper
author = Tredwell, Roger
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Supplemental Report on Cotton Situation
version =
publisher = U.S. Department of State
date = July 19, 1918]

Tredwell was arrested by the Bolsheviks in on October 15, 1918. He was soon able to secure his release, and quickly set about to free other foreigners arrested that same day. Shortly after, however, he was placed once again under house arrest. At one point he was taken to a prison where it seemed he was about to be executed, but the local police chief stopped the process at the last minute. Citation
title = Consul Kidnapped by Bolsheviki is Finally Released
newspaper = Oakland Tribune
date = May 5, 1919
year = 1919] In March 1919, the British offered to release Bolshevik prisoners they were holding in Persia in exchange for Tredwell's freedom.Citation
title = British to Release Red for U.S. Consul
newspaper = Oakland Tribune
date = March 4, 1919
year = 1919] This exchange, however, never took place.cite book
last = Hopkirk
first = Peter
authorlink = Peter Hopkirk
title = Setting the East Ablaze
publisher = Kodansha International
date = 1984
pages = 56
isbn = 1568361025 ] He was taken from Tashkent to Moscow, then onward to Finland, where he was released in May 1919. Upon his return, he denounced Bolshevik rule and predicted that the Russian people would soon rise up against it.Citation
title = Tredwell Reports Red Rule Shaky
newspaper = The New York Times
date = May 14, 1919
year = 1919]

References