At the outbreak of the war, Polikarpoy went to Hailar as vice-consul and to keep friendly relations with Mongol tribes and, in 1916, Col, von Papen-helm disappeared in Mongolia, it being generally believed that he met his death in trying to get through to Turkey via Mongolia and Sinkiang.
Polikarpov now says that, in Dscember, 1915, a Mongol-speaking Ruslan messenger brought him. at Hailar a letter from a Mongol Prince concerning an unknown foreign officer and twelve soldiers who had arrived among the Kerahortchin league with 50 camels and vast amount of silver dollars.
The Prince sent with his few articles among which was card of von Papenheim, his field book and a small stick of dynamite, Polikarpov concluded that von Papenheim was trying to turn the Mongol tribes against Russia and destroy the CER. at some point to Dlock Russia's outlet to the Pacific, He therefore, despatched an urgent message to his friend the Prince asking for the extermination of the German expedition, keeping any money for himself and sending everything of military value to Hailar,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.