New-York tribune., 1918-12-05
Contest Over
Russian Funds
Taken to Polk
Old Regime Representatives
in Zemstvos Union Seek
State Departments Aid
Lawyer Sent to Capital
Attorney for BoIsheviki to
Present His Side of Case
Later On During Week

A representative of Coudert Brothers
lawyers, left here last night for Wash.
ington to plead the cause of the old
regime representatives in New York
Of the All Russian Union of Zemstvo,
before Acting Secretary Of State Frank
Folk. Alexander Sakhnovsky u the
head Of the Americana ommission of
this Russian relief organization which
has on deposit in New York bank.
sums of money variously estimates
from S450,000 to 81 500, 900.
George f. Hurd, Of Green. Hurd 4
Stowen, said on Tuesday that he sIso
vas planning to go to Washine.oD
TINS week TO lay the other side of the
case before Mr.. Polk Mr.. Hurd holds
d power OF attorney, executed at Nos
COW, for the Zemstvos Union, by Ben
lamin Sverdlof, chief Of the organiza-
tlon and a Bolshevik appointee
brother Of Sverdlotf is a member of
the executive committee Of ghe Rel.
sheviki in Moscow and according 10
Mr.. Sakhnovsky, their sister is Mrs
Irotsky. The power of attorney was
brought out of Russia by Pnited States
Consul Dewitt c. Poole and was for.
warded to Mr.. Hurd from Stockholm
through the State Department.
Mr. Hurd yesterday explained:
The principal source OF our infor.
nation concerning the character and
purposes Of the present organization Of
the Cities and Zemstvos Union is Allen
Wardwsll, Of the firm of Stetson, Jen.
nlngs & Russell, who was until recently
representative in Russia of the Ameri-
can ked Cross. In letter to us from
Mr.. Wardwell (who is now in New
York;, dated at Moscow. September 'Is Is
1918, ne said: in all the mud5le of
Russian affairs at the present t;ma !
ind that Mr.. Sverdloff is one Of the
lew men who are refusing to be turned
ASIDE from his work. for he is using
ms entire energy for the relief Of 4
sun erlng people, irrespective Of politi.
cal divergence OF views He is holdinc
together the old organization as far
as 1t is possible in the present confu.
sion He recently has been apuoinfes
mead OF the Russian Red Cross. 50 that
ne has under his control the three chief
Russian egencies for relief work
In aid of the work now be p con.
Quoted by the unions it is necessary
that the property resources Of the or
ganizaton IN this country be made
@OiS 4Ol tNe WOrk IN Russia as
soo- as possible.
Relief Project Ridiculed
When Mr.. Sakhnovsky was told that
NJ Hurd had indicated desie to get get
ellef supplies TO Russia. he said:
Nonsense. No bank will give him
the money IN the first place and in tbe
second, 1t is not likely that the Ameri-
can army in Russia would permit sun
plies to pass through ther lines to the
bolsheviki. If we should recognize
Mr.. Hurd's power of attorney. how long
do You suppose the Bolsheviki would
leave him in charge -
Hr. Wardwell said he could only dis
cuss the affair from the standpoint OF
conditions as they existed or October
Is when he left Russia.
AT that time Sverdloff was making
an effort to distribute what supplies
he could get. He said he was not
Bolshevik. but he held Office bv virtue
of his brothers prominence in the Bo-
shevik councilS'
Nh. Sakhnovsky and his associates
have the support of the Russian EN-,
bassy. L. Brokman. an attache of the
embassy stationed here in the Offices
of the union Of Zemstvos. said yester-
day that the power of attorney sent to
Mr.. Hurd by Sverdloff was prelimi-
nary move to get control of she relief
funds into the hands of the Bolsheviki.