The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-12
JOHNSON WANTS EXPLANATION OF RUSSIAN POLICY Declares State of War With Soviets Exists Without
 Formal Declaration. LONG ADDRESS IN
 SENATE TODAY Senator Asks a Long List of Evidently Carefully Pre-
 pared Inquiries.

Washington, Dec. 12 - Senator Johnson, of California, Republican, in an address to the Senate today, de- manded a definite statement of the American governments policy toward Russia. He declared a state of war with the Soviet government actually exists without a formal declaration of hostilities and, asking a long series of questions, introduced 8 resolution calling upon the State Department for all documents and information regarding the nations course in Rus sia and upon the War Department for statement of American troops in Russia and casualties among them.
 For the information of Congress and the American people, Senator Johnson said he wanted to know l whether it is true that this govern | ment never replied to a plea from the Russian Soviet government to help | avert the shameful treaty of Brest" and whether the assistant secretary
 
 refused intervention last March, stat ing that to intervene in Siberia would be doing in the East exactly what the Germans were doing in the West"
 ''Is it true" the sentator contin- ued, that the Russian soviet gov. ernment offered through its highest economic council a program for mak- ing America the most favored nation in trade and commerce and involving the control by the Allies of all thoso supplies most desired by the Central Empires?
 'Is 1t true that representatives of the American Red Cross remained in soviet Russia until October, in per- feet safety and reasonable comfort even after we had intervened and American troops were fighting the soldiers of the soviet government? ''Is it true that the department of state has refused to allow the American Red Cross to ship supplies to Moscow and Petrograd for tho relief of the returning Russian war l prisoners from Germany?
 "Is 1t true that the American am. 
 missioner in Russia recommended cooperation with the soviet govern ment through the American railroad mission, that the soviet government /! invited this cooperation and prom 1 ised control of the Siberian railway i to be placed in the hands of this 1 mission, and that these recommends. tions were refused by the American government largely as a result of mis- 1 information received through tho l Greet committee, supported by lead CTS and representatives of the old re- i gime in Russia?'
 ! Senator Johnson asked also wheth- CT it is true that a Russian speaking and experienced British high commis- | sioner, sent to Russia after the Bol- sheviki revolution, reported as late as May 15, 1918, that the soviet govern ment had cooperated with the Allies, and that he believed that intervention in cooperation with the soviet govern nent was feasible, and whether the American government so delayed CO., operation with the Kerensky govern ment's plan to support the morale of the army and maintain that prov2s- ional government in power as to con- tribute largely to the overthrow of Kerensky and the success of the Bol- sheviki revolution.
 The senate foreign relations com rnittee and the state department, Sem ator Johnson said, cannot or have not answered these questions.
 ''I understand, full we'll" Senator Johnson continued. that 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 It's affairs. But these 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 a legitimate inquiry"