Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-09
Ger MANY.
OBTAINING.
FIRM GRIP.
ON RUSSIA.
Will Become Stronger Than in
1914 With 10 Years of
BOIsheviSt Rule, Says
Ambassador Francis.

Washington, March e.-Davld X.
Francis, who went to Russia as
American ambassador in 1916 be-
fore the overthrow of the monarchy
and who remained there until after
the bolshevists had seized the gov
ernment, in testifying today before
the senate committee investigating
lawless propaganda warned that
should the bolshevists be permitted
to remain in power all Russia would
be exploited by the Germans. With.
in 10 years, under such conditions,
he said, Germany would be the
victor of the war in that the nation
would be stronger in every way
than it was in 1914.
Ambassador Francis told the COM
mittee that complete and thorough
understanding Of the Russian men
ace convinced him that with the
bolshevists in power in Russia,
peace not only in Europe but
throughout the entire world was an
utter impossibility. He said that
even now there was good reason
for beliving that German and Aus
trian officers were with the red
forces operating in northern Russia
and he added that the Germans
steadily were getting a grip upon
the vitals of Russia and her indus
tries.
Robins Bolshevist Agent.
Mr.. Francis further testified that
information had reached him that
Raymond Robins, former American
Red Cross commissioner to Russia,
had upon his return to the United
States carried proposal from the
bolshevik government to President
Wilson. This proposal, he said, he
understood, was an offer of certain
concessions to the American gov
ernment similar to those granted
Germany in the treaty of Brest-
Litovsk.
The ambassador said so far as he
knew Mr.. Robins was never given
an opportunity to present the pro-
posal to the president.
In reply to questions from mem
bers of the committee, Mr.. Francis
said it was his understanding that
the soviet government did not desire
to make a similar proposal to Great
Britain, France and the other al
lies. On the contrary, his informa-
tion, he said, was to the effect that
the bolshevists wished to conceal
the proposal from the governments
associated with the United States.
The ambassador was asked wha'
would happen if America and allied
troops were withdrawn from north
ern Russia, and in reply asserted
that he was of the opinion the boil
shevists would sweep in and engage
in an orgy of murder and destruc-
tion on a scale such as the world
has never seen.
Spreading Propaganda.
Reports that the bolshevists were
sending their agents into Germany
France and England were upheld by
the ambassador, who said he be-
lieved the efforts in this country
thus far had taken the form of mon
ey for use in spreading of their
propaganda. He told of the deliv-
cry of bolshevist propaganda to the
armies of the allies and the United
States in France.
The ambassador said the soviet
government had recently been petit
toned not to carry out the dena-
tionalization of certain banks, the
objects of the petitioners being, he
said, to allow German agents to OBJ
tain control Of the stock of these in
stitutions.
Mr.. Francis said it was not true
that the mass of the Russians favor
ed the rule of the bolshevists. AS
a matter of fact. according to Am
bassador Francis, less than a con-
stantly dwindling 10 per cent of all
the people in Russia belonged to
the bolshevists. He painted a vivid
picture of the terror that reigns
in the old country of the car and
told of one instance where the gut
ters from a court yard in Petrograd
actually ran with blood from the
victims of the bolshevists.
Orgy of Bloodshed.
Many were killed without even
charges being made against them on
several occasions. the ambassador
asserted. Wholesale killings were in
dulged in. He said more than 500
innocent hostages were killed at
one time and that his observation
of conditions and affairs in Russia
led him to believe the bolshevists
in their everyday practices commit
ted excesses far beyond even the
widest dreams of anarchists.
Anarchists, as understand
them. believe only in the destruc-
ton of property. The bolshevists
believe in the destruction Of prop
erty and life as well, for they realize
that their only means of continuing
in power is by killing all those who
dare to oppose them"
Speaking of the Czecho-Slovak
forces in Russia, Mr. Francis said
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