New-York tribune., 1918-12-13

cooperation with the Soviat government
was feasible; and whether the Ameri-
can government so delayed cooperation
with the Kerensky governments plan
to support the morale OF the army and
maintain that Provisional Government
in power as to contribute largely to the
overthrow Of Kerensky and the sue
cess of the Bolshevik revolution.
The Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee and the State Department. Sen
ator johnson said, can not answer or
have not answered these questions.
IL understand full we'll" Senator
Johnson continued, chat the peculiar
intolerance which has been fostered
in the past few months, the state OF
mind. deliberately cultivated, which
has sought to bully and to terrorize
either mild objector or seeker for in
formation will look askance at one so
lost as to ask the facts concerning
Russia and our participation in its
affairs. But those of us who are
neither Bolsheviki nor in sympathy
with Bolshevism. of course, would be
unfit to sit here if we feared to pur-
sue legitimate inquiry"
Wants to Know Purpose
Asking if America may be partly
responsible for starvation and terror
ism in Russia, the Senator wanted to
know whether this country's purpose
is to war against revolution in ell
countries, "to prevent She agitation
for revolution from spreading"
If league of nations was to be
formed upon any such motives it will
degenerate into Holy Alliance" he
said. "A policy of military interven-
tlon, supporting one government here
and another there, one faction in one
part and one faction in another, will
out encourage every revolutionary
group,
The extraordinary amount of mis-
information given to the American
people concerning Russia almost justi-
mes the belief that there has been a
regular and consistent propaganda of
miGsrepresentation." he continued.
The Creel Bureau of Public Infor-
nation has. apparently been engaged
not a IN developing facts to our people,
but IN justifying a course subse-
quently pursued at variance with our
words. Solemnly we promised that we
would not by hostile invasion inter
vene.. We did, after our solemn prom
ise' just that thing, and then in the
sequence of events, apparently, the
DUTY devolved on the Creel bureau to
justify the broken promise
Asks About Creel
AS calmly we weigh what has been
transpirlng in Austria and Germany,
as we observe the insidious propa-
ganda and the poison of Bolshevism
emanatlng from Russia, which have
gone to the very core of the autoc-
racy of the Central Empires, can we
be satisfied with the Creel committees
labored efforts to demonstrate that
the Bolsheviki are German agents ?"
Referring to what he termed a
strange modification" of armistice
terms delaying withdrawal of German
troops from Russia, Senator johnson
asked: va
Can it be that the German-bribed d
6eolshevlki, acting in conjunction with
1 germany r. must be kept in
order by German troops?"
Let in the light on the Russian
SITUATION and let our people know the
1acts'" he added. an the days to
come our course must be steered
safely between the Scvlla of Boil
Snevlsm Sn VS.: and the Charybdis of reaction.
no room for Bolshevism. 1t is the
spawn of oppression, poverty and
munger. The sporadic rantings of an
occasional international agitator will
mo no response in free America"
when he concluded, Senator John
sons resolution at his request. was
retired to the Foreign Relations Com
mittee.
has Information, He Saws
Senator Brandegee, of Connecticut,
nepunllcan member of the committee,
asked the California Senator whether
the questions he had propounded were
based on information. Senator John
son said all had some basis Of infor-
mation and none were idle, though he
was not prepared to vouch for the
truth OF all the information.
Senator Lewis, of Illinois. Democrat
declared that Senator Johnson's in
qulres are pertinent. but that press
reports the California Senator onoted
were not sufficient foundation "to
Justify judgment convicting the
united States of any omission of duty. "
senator Lewis recalled that when
the American expedition to Russia was
ftarted, he told the Senate that the
United States had no selfish aims and
.argely was acting to protect war sup
plies from German capture and also
70 aid the Czecho-Slovaks in Russia,
ne saio the war is over only so far
as actual fighting is concerned and
that 1T will take the formal decision
OF the peace delegates before the state
of var formally ceases. Until then
ne SAID, the people of the United States
should not be led into the false i'm
preston that this country had vio-
lated the principles for whi:h it entered
the war. ~
Parallel fo Maxico7
Senator Sherman, of Illinois. Rennb-
!lcan, called the attention of Senator
Johnson to q statement of President
Wilson on January 8, 1916, in which
ne expressed the opinion that it was
rot the affair of the United States
how much fighting was done in Mexico
before the people of that country OBJ
tanned freedom, and he compared that
attitude with the attitude Of the ad-
ministration in Russia.
Senator Myers, Of Montana. Demo
crat, asked Senator johnson whv the
people of Russia did not obtain the
liberty and democracy they seek since
as MIR. johnson said, SO per cent of
the people are struggling for freedom
"Of course, that question is no,
asked for the purpose of eliciting in
formation Senator johnson renlied
but will say that even the American
people do not always get what thev
want; there are times when the leaders
OF the country do not do what the
American people want