Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-30
Polish E n gine e r, Back
From Petrograd, Urges
Military Intervention
DETEsT GERMAN YOKE
Mass of People Would Rally
to Support of Americans,
He Says

ternal and international affairs, which
he believes to be the only solution of
the Russian problem, has actually been
under way for months, according TO
Witold de Lesniewski, young Po,ish
engineer and former professor of elec.
trlcal engineering at the Technolorica1
institute in Petrograd. who is now In
this city.
British and French forces were landed
on the Murman coast last March. de-
clared Professor Lesniewski today. and
when ne left Russia in April they had
taken over several Russian warships,
which had been abandoned by their
crews at Murmansk, port on the Arctic
Ocean seized the Murnansk Railway Ia
a point. sou,hward where a junction is
made with the Nickolai Railway. within
100 miles Of Petrograd, and controlled
territory embracing hundreds of SQUARE
miles.
There were no American forces &C.
companying the Allied expedition, but
military commission Ct American army
officers was attached to the Allied staff,
apparently serving as observers and
counselors. No opposition was offered the
Allied forces On the contrary, said
Professor Lesniewski, the natives of
that region welcomed the French and
British when they learned that the ex-
pedition had come to help restore order
and throw off the yoke of Prussanism
forced upon them by the Bolsheviki gov-
ernment and the Brest-Litovsk peace"
treaty entered into with the Germans
by Lenine and Trotsky.
Bolsheviki Losing Ground
The Bolsheviki, who never represented
more than one-eighth of the entire popu-
lation Of Russia. declared Professor
Lesniewski. and possibly not more than
one-tenth, are rapidly losing ground
everywhere with all classes Of Russians,
and soon will cease to be a factor in
the Russian situation. Russians every
where, he said, will welcome anything
that promises restoration and the end
of German encroachment upon the coun-
try.
Professor Lesniewski is now living at
the Engineers' Club here, and is en-
ployed by the Emergency Fleet Corpora
tion as q power expert He is twenty
six years old and has spent most OF his
life in Russia.
"Ihtervention Joint Allied interven-
ton, with American troops participating.
an American generalissimo commanding
the expeditionary forces, and the Amer
ican ideal Of justice for weaker nations
predominating-that. and that only, IN
nv opinion, will bring about satisfac-
tory and permanent solution OF the Rus
sian problem - declared Professor Les
niewski.
People Won't Oppose Them
Russia and the great mass Of the
Russian people of all classes will not
oppose Allied intervention" continued
Professor Lesniewski. "On the contrary,
thew will welcome it If it is led by Amer
ica. provided they are given to under.
stand that the forces of the Allies come
to them not as conquerors and exploiters,
but as friends and saviors from the
plapue Of anarchy and the accursed yoke
Of Prussianism!
when l left Russia Intervention by
French and British forces in the Mur-
man region already was much farther
under way than I found the outside
world had been informed. Allied war;
ships came to Murmansk last March.
took over Russian warships there which
had been deserted by their crews, and
which were menaced with capture by
the Germans, landed a large body OF
troops. seized the great railway system
of that region. and controlled vast
territory. The military affairs of this
region are now administered by COM
mission, composed Of one member repre-
senting the French military expedition.
another representing the British military
y
Soviet. Civilian matters were LETT IN
the hands of the local Soviets.
"Order was restored out of chaos.
Crime and anarchy were put down. Busi-
ness and industry were resumed as TAR
as possible. Thousands Of persons who
had been half starved for months were
being fed and clothed from American
supplies shipped to Murmansk In great
quantities. This much already achieved.
and then Russia got the f1rst gleam OF
hope that has penetrated the black night
Of turmoil and disorder since the Bolshe-
Wiki got control Of national affairs. To.
day Russia's destiny rests in the hands
OF America and her allies, particularly
America.
Russians Admire Americans
"Russians generally are great admir-
| ers Of America and Americans, and have
unbounded faith in American ideals.
They pray for the day when their own
country may be modelled after the great
democracy of the west. If America
| comes to Russia extending the hand Of
friendship and help. there will bs no fric-
tion and no opposition to a joint move-
ment by the Allies to put the nation back
on its feet, once more facing the common
enemy.
when America entered the war,
thousands Of pamphlets were distributed
among the street throngs in Petrograd.
setting forth the American aims in the
war. Several of President Wilson's
speeches on the war likewise were placed
before the Russian people. This bit Of
propaganda cemented that confidence
and faith which Russians already had
in the United States. The same policy
should be adopted with respect to in
tervention on the scale on which it must
be carried out to be entirely successful.
A few million dollars spent in the right
sort of propaganda among the people
will do wonders. 1t also would serve to
combat the constant propaganda of the
| Germans.
THE Allies need have no fear of the
Bolshevik threat of war When the
Germans were within eighty miles OF
Petrograd. and still were advancing some
months ago, the Bolsheviks entered into
peace treaty with the Germans 1t
Brest-Litovsk and demobilized the Rus
sian army. Once the masses OF the peo-
Pile understand why the Allies are send
ing an expedition to them. the Boil
shevks can no more make war on
such an expedition that they could es-
tablish a stable government while thew
were at the zenith of their power. Let
army to mobilize! The great mass of
the soldiers themselves. now at their
homes. are sick of empty promises,
starvation. anarchy and the Prussian
yoke forced on them by the Bolsheviki."