Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-12-12
SENATOR Johnson
WANTS TO KNOW j.
S. RUSSIAN POLICY
Demands Answers To Ques-
tions So Americans May Be
Advised, He Says.
ASKS ABOUT NUMBER OF
TROOPS NOW in RUSSIA
Also Concerning Alliance o.
Railroad Commission
And Soviet.
Bv L. O. Martin


! Washington, Dee. 12.-Scnator Hi
ram johnson, California, today intro
duced in the senate resolution call
ing on the state and war departments
for frank statement concerning:
THE United States government s
policy in Russia.
2-Operations Of American troops in
Russia.
The resolution would call on the
state department to "send to the SEN
ate all data, documents and informa.
tion showing or bearing upon our pres
ent relations with Russia, as to peace
or war, so that the senate and the ma
ton may know why and for what pur-
nose our soldiers are in Russia and
what is the policy of the government
in reference to Russia
IL would direct the war department
l"to advise the senate Of the number
of United States troops in Russia, their
location and their operations, together
with any lists of casualties which they
have suffered
Propounds Questions
In speech on the resolution, Sen
ator johnson propounded a long list
of questions to which he declared the
fAmerican people have the right to de-
mand answers, because. Gan eextraor'
dinary amount of misinforlnation about
Russia has been given out.
The questions follow;
nI-Is it true that the soviet gov
ernment offered to the American gov
ernment a. basis Of cooperation, eco
nomic and military, and sought tne
help of the American government tc
prevent the ratification Of the shame
full treaty of Brest and that the Am
erican government never repheo y
this offer!
n2-ls it true that the assistant sec
retary of state, speaking fol tho pres
I;dent, definitely refused Intervention
lin March last when, if Intervention
was desirable or possible, then was th'
time 10 intervene, before the rigors OF
starvation, the red terror OF the UNITY
of the peasants and workers agains
lthe allies had been establishedF 1t Il
trne that in this statement there IS th'
Language that to intervene in Sioefl'
would be doing in the east exact.
what the Germans were doing in IN,
west, and would subject America dn'
the allies to the same suspicion on I'M
mart of the Russian peopla
About Red Cross
t3-ls it true that the Russian SOW
;ot oovarpment offered a program 10
making America the most favored Tor
eion nation in trade and commerce an'
Involving the control by the aiiles .
all those supplies most desired oy 'h
central empires9 !,
! u4-Is it true that reports OF en-
American Red Cross rema ned III 81
vint Russia until October in perlcc
safety and reasonable comfort eve
latter we had interviewed. and America
troops were fighting the soldiers o
the soviet government and that lh
lla q members Of the Original America
Rad Cross mission to Russia left MOS
lcow nm the fifth of October and Petrc
igrad an the sixteenth Of October /
fhe safe conduct and security OF
nrotection of the soviet goYernmentf
'f5-ls it true that the department
Of state has refused to allow the an
eriean Red Cross to ship supplies !
Moscow and Petrograd foF the rene
of the returning Russian war prison
ers from Germany, sixty per cent 0
whom are suffering from some fori
of tuberculosis
| Concerning Railrosds
n6-Is it true that tn America
ambassador and the British high con
missioner in Russia recommended c'
operation with the soviet goyernmen
through the American railroad con
i mission. that the soviet governmer
| invited this cooperation and promise
leontrol of the Siberian railway, TO b
placed in the hands of this missicn an
these recommendations were refuse
Iby the American government largel
because of misinformation receive
through the Creel committee, suppor
ed bv leaders and representatives,
the old regime in Russia9
OILS 1t true that refusal OF the'
recommendation prevented the eva
uation Of large amounts Of munitioI
J and war supplies from the westei
front that subsequently, were capture
/ by the Germans in their advance aft
1.-THE Brest negotiations had failedf
Commission to Rursia
"s-Is It true that the British hi{
commissioner sent TO Russia after Il
1 bolsheyiki revolution, because Of h