Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-12
WARNS AGAINST
hun INFLUENCE
WITHIN RUSSIA
David R. Francis, American
Ambassador to Muscovite
Realm, Tells Plans Germany
Has Long Fostered,

Has Long Fostered,
Rye Beach, N. H., June ll-Warn-
ing that if a stable government is
not established in Russia, Germany
will utilize Russian resources and
man-power and again become a
great menace to the people of
Europe was given by David R.
Francis, American ambassador to
Russia. Mr.. Francis is recuperatirg
here from illness which compelled
him to undergo a surgical operation
in ! london on his way home from
Archangel. He is awaiting orders
from the State department..
Mr.. Francis was prompted to
make the statement by the recent
speeches of Frank A. Vanderlip,
formerly president Of the National
City bank of New York in which Mr..
Vanderlip gave his views. of the in
dustrial situation in Europe and
told America that she must be pre-
pared to extend her credit to put
European business on its feet.
i have read with great interest"
said the ambassador, "Mr. Wander
lips note of warning delivered be-
fore the Economic club in New
York several days ago. Mr.. Van
derlip had unequalled facilities for
studying conditions in Europe dur
ing his four or five months visit
and Ms address, coming as it does
from the president of the largest
financial institution in america,
imparts most valuable information.
He is not in the diplomatic service;
ii he were he would have thought
a second time concerning his utter
ance about labor conditions in Eng
land. Those conditions are more
or less serious in every European
country and merit attention even in
the United States.
Bolshevism Frowned On.
"The bolshevik spirit which is
now manifesting itself in the Cana
dian strikes, I am glad to see is
frowned upon by the labor unions
in that country as we'll as in Our
own. If that spirit should dominate
in the new world or even if it should
permeate labor circles to the ex-
tent it did in Russia in the begin
ming of the bolshevik revolution, it
would as it did there attempt to
appropriate the lands and that
would be very deplorable for the
labor unions of America. Here the
public domain, immense as it was,
has practically all been taken up by
settlers who own the soil they till
and would not listen with any pa
thence to the bolshevik doctrine of
matchmaking the land.
"Lenine has realized this as, be-
fore l left Russia, he said bolshe-
svism had no causs to fear the large
land owners or fcddal barons as he
called them, but the small holders
among the peasaritry were the most
powerful enemies of bolshevism.
II did not intend to digress, how
ever, even to this extent from what
| wished to say concerning Mr.. Van-l
deriip's address. While he visited
almost every accessible country i'll
Europe, belligerent and neutral, he
did not go to Russia nor mention
the resources of that afflicted coun-
try in his comprehensive statement.
He did not even take into account
the productive capacity in Russia
when he stated that the population
\of Europe dNgrown from 10000
900 to 440,000,600 and without in
creasing its productivity nearly in
the same ratio.
German Influence in Russia.
Germany has not only been
studying the immense resources of
Russia for a half a century, but
during the past several decades has
given careful attention to the Rus
sian character going so far as to
place German teachers in Russian
schools. AS l said in my testimony
before the Overman committee OF
the senate and on various other oc-
casions, if Germany had deferred
the war decade or five years even.
she would have had such strong
foothold in Russia that it would
have been impossible to dislodge
her. have also expressed the view
many times that it would be diff
ficult, if possible. to establish peace
in Europe with chaos prevailing in
Russia or even with bolshevik rule
dominating Russia. 1t is also NY
conviction if a stable government
is not Established in Russia that
Germany will utilize the resources
OF that country, organize its man
power as Germany knows so we'll
! how to do and become as powerful
and as great menace to the peo-
pie of Europe at the end of one or
!, two decades as she was at the be-
ginning of the world war. Lloyd
George said to one Of his colleagues
at the Paris conference any peace
which we negotiate here with Rus
STA left out would be travesty, for
Russia comprises half Of the dry
land Of Europe and half Of Asia
also'-and he might have Nodded
over one-seventh of the dry lasd
of the,earth."