The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-06
GERMANS HERE PAID
Ta6T1ky'S PASSAGE
Louder fftHcrntrd Mt Hnit-
fax Through Keren-
sky's Aid.

New York. Feb. 5.--The history OF
Leon Trotzky, or Leon Bronstein. now
q leader in Russian affairs and a chief
speaker for Ru$sia IN tIae Bxest !. itnvsk
peace parleys with the German mill
tarists, and digest of his doings "a nd
connections while he vas In New
York, are contained In an official re-
port just made public by Attorney
General Merton p. Lewis, Of New
York -...------ -.->-. .....-....
1t was generally known that Trotzky
while in this city engaged in Journal
istic work and that his intimate as
Sociates- We're Germans oF Social lists
but te get definite data on his sctivi-
ties the department Of justice request
I'd the. encouragement to ascertain
the facts of his stay here and all that
cpt'd he learned about him prior to
his appearance ia America
Mr.. Lewis assigned the tasI. to spe-
ciai DEPUTY Attorney General 8Ifred II.
Becker, whose invest gation cover eJl
! Trotzkys activities from the time he
eseapeG from Siberia. fed 10 Rerltn.
thence to Switzerland and Paris aud
ultimately was Imprisoned ia BARGE
/ lonat SpRin. II @as upon hja re'e8so
/ from the Spanish, prison that be enl-
barkeG for New York.
Gouldn't TRACE German Money.
The chief purpose Of the iBvestiaa-
! tiou- was 10 learn whether Trotzky
was in the employ Of agents Of Ger
many or received any funds from Ber-
| lin te carry on the propaganda ne IS
known 10 have carried on here az well
b
| unable TO verify any Indications ~
I TrotzJy's receiving money from any
/ German sources"
Mr. Becker made an exhaustive in.
! qulry. and aided by hts power TO Issue
! subpde mas obtained many facts ahou
| Trctzky that other investigators wer,
, unable 70 ascertain. Just prior 10 in
! stifutne his investigation he was sr
/ fortunate as 70 procure a copy Of The
( Courier dcs Etats-Unls Of December
( 81, 14lT 10 which Issue there appeared
! r signed article by +. Gomez Garlic. &
( distinguished tuurUTttSt Of Ear sTON9
. - ho iLld spent much time W TIN T'utzky
4 when the latter was imprisoned.
Garlic drew a vivid picture OF HI
Russian Socialist. and while paying
high tribute to his ability plainly stat
. ID that Trot2kV was an agent Of Ger
many and that the big checks he ha,
in his possession were Of German orr
gtn and that il had been his origina
\ Intention To apply their proceeds 4
starting r new srapeF in spain. I'll
arrest unset these calculations and h
then decided he would come to AmerI
ca and start q weekly newspaprr II
New York.
Mr. Becker later got in communi
cation with signor Garlic and ascer
ttained mcnv sideliehts on the char
,4f Of In
leader which otherwise he ~neve
could have procured. Mr.. Becker. Il
Tracing Trotzkys financial status an
the difficulties he got into st Halfra
when held up en- route for Russia
learned that the moneY that proCur
"a his liberty in Halifax was sent I
him by Alexander Kerenskysthe the
Ieader OF Russia and the man Trot
zky displaced almost as soon IS h
set foot on Ruesfa n soil.
, Close To German Socialists.
Trotzkv affiliated himself with Ger
. man Socialists as soon as he lande
, / in %6w York and These affiiatien
were unirterrupted up 10 the day G
: his departure. lis funds came froI
, these sources and 1t was a purs
raised ut such a meeting that enable
/, him to take passage for Russia 10
tgether with sixteen fellow country
mon and sympathixers Lincoln Stet
, feus the magazine writer and Sc
cialst. was a passenger on this shiI
Mr.. Rockers official report o
Trotzky was as follows
"Trotzky was president of the Sol
! dlers' and Workers. union and tn
4 moving spirit of the revolution /
\ Russia in 1905 He was exiled I
. siberia from which place he escape
Q 10 Japan and then went to live
I Switzerland for short time. II
subsequently, went To Berlin, wher
he published a Hebrew Socialist ps
per. and remained in Berlin unit
the breaking out Of the war whe
the government expelled him.
Tie then went TO Paris and hega
I the publication of a paper known 3
Our Words The French goYernmer
permitted him TO publish this pap'
unTfl SOM 100000 Russian trpopss wei
transferred to the western front.
. then became apparent that Tr7tzI1y
. paper was causing great deal
= discomfort among these troops. 80 Ger
;, cral Roques. then French minister
= war. ordered Trotzky expelled fro
: the country,
. "Trotzky then took refuge IN Bsrc'