The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-12-27
Washington Letter.
TURN THE LIGHT ON RUSSIA


Washington, Dec. 24.-(Special
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Hiram w.
Johnson, of California, has delivered
an address in the Senate giving his
conclusions from a thoughtful study
of the Russian situation that should
receive the careful consideration of
every thinking American. Our coun-
try has been surfeited with accounts
of bloody massacres in Moscow, Pet
rograd, and other Russian centers, of
intrigues between the Bolsheviki and
Germany, of the fierce opposition of
the Soviet government to all inter-
vention in Russia from the United
States, and of the horrible conditions
of cold, starvation, and general mis-
cry brought upon the Russian lower
classes as result of the corruption,
incompetence, and treachery of the
present regime. Senator Johnson has
gone behind the lurid reports in the
press in search for the truth, and
the facts that he presents and the
conclusions that he draws are start
ling in the extreme.
The object of Mr.. Johnson's discus
sion of the Russian situation is to OBJ
tain, if possible, some statement from
our government as to its. policy in
that benighted country. II wish to
know" says the Senator, "my coun-
try's attitude at this time to the Rus
sian people and what our sons are
! fighting for on Russian SOIL" Dill
gent private inquiry has failed to give
him light on the subject, and the SEN
ator hopes by public presentation of
the matter to bring an authoritative
statement from the officials.
| In spite of the fact that the Ad-
ministration has repeatedly, expli-
city, and emphatically denied any in
tention to interfere with the political
sovereignty of Russia, her internal
affairs, or her territorial integrity,
the press reports tell us of battles
between American soldiers and Rus
sian soldiers, precisely like encounters
between two hostile peoples. Not
only have our military forces invaded
the country, but we have EXPLICITLY
J permitted the German army to remain
in occupancy Of the captured Russian
provinces, the original terms of the
1armistice being changed so to provide
Although the tenets of the Bolshe-
Wiki are in direct opposition to the
principles of German Imperialism,
Senator johnson suspects there has
been a propaganda to create the i'm
preston that the Germans and Boil
sheviki are collididing against the al
lies. He refers to "the Creel Commit
tees labored efforts to demonstrate
that the Bolsheviki are German
agents." and hints at transactions be-
tween the Soviet government and our
own that have never been told. He
asks if it is true that our Government
refused permission to the Red Cross
to send supplies to Russia for the re-
lief of returning Russian prisoners,
60 per cent of whom were suffering
from uberculosis-"t the soldiers
who held the Hun in check for two
years and saved civilization" He
hints that our State Department dis
approved recommendations from the
American and British ambassadors to
Russia for cooperation with the Soviet
government. Information on these
and other matters Senator Johnson
says is not in possession of the Sem
ate Foreign Relations committee,
whose members are quite as much
in the dark concerning them as he.
Senator johnson declares he does
not want to see America engaged in
the "stabilization" of governments by
hostile invasion and overpowering mil
itary force. 81 want no policy in our
Republic" says he, "of subjugating or
subdning nations or peoples who do
not think as we do" His remarks
in connection with that statement of
principle are most Eliminating and
present view of the Russian ques-
ton that has not been discussed by
the press of the country. Those who
take an interest in Russian affairs
and our attitude toward them will do
well to send to Senator Johnson for a
copy Of his speech.