The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-08-11
GERMANY ALONE
BETWEEN RUSSIA
And A REPUBLIC
Root Says Should Kaiser Over
WheIm Slavs Democracy
Would Be Endangered.
COMMISSION At WASHINGTON
Members Believe Russia viii Remain
In War on Side of Entente Allies !
Great Quantities of Teuton
Money Being Circulated.

Washington Aug. 9-"Germany
alone stands between Russia and a
Russian republic" Elihu Root, United
States diplomatic commissioner to
Russia made this statement prior to
his formal report to President Wilson
and the state department.
"A Russian republic Is a certainty,
or as near certainty as anything can
be in human affairs" Mr.. Root said.
Russia will pull out. The only event
that can break up Russia now is Ger
many. Should Germany overwhelm
Russia, then the republic would be en-
dangered."
Every member of the commission
emphasized the belief that Russia will
remain in the war on the side of the
entente allies and that a permanent
republic will be formed. Members of
the mission conferred briefly with Sec
retary of State Lansing while waiting
to greet the president, an appointment
with whom had been made.
8cTIHdn Money IN HuSSid.
Simultaneous with the arrival here
Of the Russian mission, the state de-
partment received advices from Am
bassador Francis at Petrograd in
which the latter declared that great
quantities Of German money was be-
ing circulated throughout Russia in
an endeavor to work up pro-German
sentiment and to weaken the provislon-
al government. In announcing this fact,
Secretary Lansing emphasized TIE
efIf6flf fiiaE ffiis money swasIn great
quantities" He also said information
in possession Of the government show
ed conclusively that counterfeit Rus
sian money also was being manufac-
tured in both Germany and Russia and
used in Russia In an endeavor to
cause financial panic there.
Members of the Russian mission pri-
vately emphasized their previous state
ments that most of the trouble in Rus
sla Is due entirely to German infiu-
ence. 1t was stated the majority OF
the people were anti-German, but that
the "pro-German agents were de-
falling misleading information design
ed to make the Russian people believe
that the motives of both the entente
and the United States in the present
war were entirely selfish. In this CON
nection it was explained that the pro-
German element was insisting In Rus
sia that the real reason the United
States entered the war was to prolong
1t in order that the big munition plants
need not shut down. England's motives
also were declared to be selfish and
every effort was being made by the agi-
tators to indicate that Germany was
ready to end the war on non-annexa-
tion no-indemnity basis, but that Eng
land and the United States were oppos-
ing such plan.
May Send Another Message.
Before leaving Petrograd the mem
bers of the American mission did their
best to disabuse the minds Of the Rus.
SLAMS of this belief. 1t is possible that
when all the facts In the case are laid
before President Wilson he will decide
to amplify the original message sent
by him to Russia, in which he empha
sized the fact that this country Is
fighting for democracy
Mr.. Root had no hesitancy In Insist
ing that the Russian outlook was fai
from being as dark as certain cables
hova iUdipptad