Republican farmer., 1919-02-28
SOVIET PARTISAN ADMITS GRAFT
 OF BOLSHEE:vlKI


 tions in Russia under the government ot the Bolsheviki was reached at the Overman propaganda inquiry com mittee hearing yesterday when Albert Rhys Williams. who stated frankly that he was a violent partisan of the soviets, admitted, in some degree most of the accusations against them by previous witnesses. He conced- ed there had been many atrocities, much footing, great graft, iron fist ed" control, and unfair representa- ton.
 "But,' he declared, anybody who focuses his mind on the fringes ana horrors of the revolution is doins himself an injustice He is not see ing and understanding the heart and purpose of the revolution. All of the witnesses who went out to help the people while they know all of these things, see the larger purposes and they love what is going on in Rus sia'
 None of the witnesses here has as sailed the form of government in Russia commented Senator Over laan. What has been assaiIed has been the practices of that goverB nant. Your idea, I take it, is thaA these practices are not enough to outweigh the hope and promise of the revolution"
 Exactly said MT. Williams.
 MT Williams also demanded of the committee an investigation not only Of the BoIshevik propasanda in this country but of the source of the funds which he said are being spent by the Russian Information Bureau to bring about Allied intervention in Russia. He said Russia had not spent any money in America for propaganda purposes. Of the D. GOO, rubles which he admitted had been appropriated for propa paganda he said that 99.5 per cent. had been spent in work against German and Austria and the rest in Britain and France. The idea of the Bolshevik. he said. was to fight those who fough1 hem. Since they considered America had been less offensive than the other Allies, they had spent no money here.
 MT. Williams began by an admis- sion that the degree for the nation- alization of women had probably. on the evidence submitted. been passed by a certain Soviet. But he declared it was not typical
 
 to itself?" asked MT Humes.
 NO" he replied. That was mora or less so at first. but the chief crit?- cism now ta that the power is becom- ing too centralized, The indications are that it is swinging to the other side very srOngly.'
 Well, is not that compatible with the charges of a dictatorship?
 "Tes, if you want to put it that way. The attack that is now being made by the other groups is that the Soviet is too strong
 He denied, however that there was evidence that the great ma jority of the people were no longer Bolsha vik While he admitted 9 swing away from BoIshevisrn among the people including the working classes and peasants he said the fact they they had not rallied to the opportunities offered by the Allied troops, and that in the one absolutely free election held in Russia. recently. that in Nlad- ivostok, the BoIshevik had won, showed that the change had not yet gone very far.
 He also argued that six million soldiers had taken. their guns home with them and would be hard to r coerce. but d little later admitted that this mieht not be true, since the Soviets had made an organized effort to gather in all the arms and had control of ammunition. T think the Soviet government has l been much more irOnisted and strong than the Kerensky government was, he admitted a little later.
 He admitted many BoIshevik prob ably were keeping an eye only on the main chance of getting food, but pointed out that these had not desert ed when they had the chance. Mir. Williams also admitted the So viet government was not fairly repre- sentative, since the S5 per cent, of peasants have only the same repre- sentation as the 15 per cent. of work men He said he was sure this would be remedied. but admitted he had only the leaders word for this, while the Soviet constitution gives one rep resentative to every 25,000 workmen and one to 125. 900 peasants. Tt s unfair and unjust" he went on. The only thing in it's favor is that the v-orkn1en are strongly in favor of the Soviet government
 He admitted, too, that the revolu- ton was brought about fundamental lv bv the desire for property, chiefly land rather than the high ideals of which he had spoken. But" he added. the Bolshevik were the only ones who understood how to take these great fundamental elements and make constructive use of them"
 He called attention to the demob- iIizatton of 100000 men with 'only the shooting up of a few Italians and a little rioting" and the organization of schools He said that lately there had been a decided settling down, all aceeptaRce of discipline by the peo- ple and an opening of industry, ac- rording to the best evidence.
 He made a plea for American aid to Russia on the ground of self-inter- est pointing out her resources and the vast market she would offer and the Willingness of the Soviets to guar an+ee capital at the same time that thr- supervise 1t. Moreover, he re- marked. under the Soviet Russia would be much more slow to develop fndustriaIIy. and that it would be to Americas interest not to have an other Commercial rival coming int9 inc market Senator WoIcott was
 Gf1 on 1DT1+