The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-16
PETROGRAD NOT To
FIGHT BOLSHEVIKI
IN COLD WINTER
There Are No Leaders in Old
Capital of Russia to Head
Peasants Against Present
Leaders of Terror.

HELSINGFORS, Finland, Dec. 16.-
There Is no likelihood of a rising of
the people of Petrograd against the
Bolsheviki this winter no matter how
terrible their plight may become, says
!; Saponen, a prominent art dealer of
that city who sacrificed a fortune of
100000 rubles to escape from Russia,
The belief of straving the popula-
ton into starting a revolution is
heresy," he declares. 80 far as the
Russians are concerned they will sim
ply die,
Gen. Yudenitch, without Finlands
help, has no chance of taking Petro-
grad for he began his campaign a
month too soon. If he had waited un-
til Trotzky's men began to feel the
cient food, their lowered morale might
enable the attack to succeed"
Aided by the wife of Maxim Korky,
M SapOnen contrived, by lavish brib-
cry of the Bolsheviki, to leave Petro-
grad He arrived at Helslngfors a
Associated Press he related the first
time for publication his remarkable ex-
periences from his arrest in June while
serving as a representative of the Fin
nsh government in negotiating for the
exchange of war prisoners. Mr.. Sa-
ponen is a native of Finland, and has
| resided in Petrograd for the last 10
years.
Until March," he said, I'VE foreign
ers were never molested. ] had been
| representing the Danish Red Cross
| until l took up the exchange Of pris-
| oners on March II.
after securing a written guarantee,
signed by Schlovsky, the Petrograd
commandment, and Tchitcherin (commis-
sioner of foreign affairs) that my life
and property would be safe, ! was al
lowed to return to Finland. Neverthe-
| less from April % until May II | was
kept in detention in my own house and
was formally arrested on June 2. was
then taken to Moscow thrown into a
military camp and treated worse than
dog simply because | was Finn. /
was kept in prison until Aug. when
| Schlovsky. ordered me to be released.
"The contents of my Petrograd house,
consisting Of works Of art, jewels val
ued by Russian experts at 4,OOO,00e
rubles, are undoubtedly carried off ana
II have no hope of seeing them again.
Commenting on the conditions in Rus
STA, M. Saponen said:
1.-THE allied blockard is destroying
| White Russia for the Bolshevik natur--
| ally feed their own followers first and
| there is little left for the government S
| enemies who are perishing.
| ~ wish to reiterate that there is no
| possibility of a counter revolt Tor the
| Russian peasants are incapable of act
| Germans and not the people VINO
brought about the revolution which
overthrow the emperor and later ker-
ensky. Before the revolution people
could obtain two or three pounds OF
| bread. Afterward they were only al
lowed one-eighth Of a pound, but they
were too terrorized to protest.
| "There are only three to five per
cent real believers in Bolshevism in
Russia, and they, by using. drastic
measures, are. able to swing the great
masses over to their side"
M saponen said that the central gov
ernment, despite the control of the
army, exercised little power over the
| local Soviets, but the Bolsheviki have
| done considerable constructive work
principally in the establishment OF trace
schools. Eager to educate the masses
thev have opened numerous new kin
dergartens and the state takes care
OF the children until they reach IA
years Of age, ,,,,
He criticized the allies. military aid
to the White Russians as ineffective hy
saving that the~allies do not send sup
plies regularly and in sufflcieh' guam
"The Finnish troops could themselves
"a ntllre Petrograd as the BolsheVlK
fear them above all others. AS re-
suit of the Bolshevik propaganda our
ing the war BolsheVik othcer az an
nounced that h. would rather tight the
devil himself than the Firms who never
know when they are defeated. Seventy
five five" per cent Of the task of conquierine
the BolsheviN would be accompls.hec
with the capture of Petrograd az INA
is the only way to impair. the blind cor, con
Gdence Of the people who are believy-
inc in Bolshevism and in the invinei-
bility of their leaders.
NJ. Saponen confirmed reports, OF ap-
Mailing conditions in Petrograd which
the winter will make far 'worse' an, ano
said that all wooden houses had Ions
s;nce been burned for fuel as well as
the flooring of others. IT.. a. do
He asserted, however, that the ae,
nletion of Petrograd's population wa
not due so much to starvation as TO tnt
fact that the BosheyiMa had sem sSnd % ms
| an,. Ia tho interior.