The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-27
SOVIET PARTISAN ADMITS CRAFT
 OF BOLSHEvIKI

like an agreement as to actual condi- lions in Russia under the government l ot the Bolshevikt was reached at the 1 Overman propaganda Inquiry com | nittee 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- 1 ed there had been many atrocities much footing. great graft, tiron fist ed'' control, and unfair representa- ] ton.
 But" he declared, "anybody who focuses his mind on the fringes and horrors of the revolution is doing : himself an injustice. He Is not see l 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 man. What has been assailed has been the practices of that govern ment. Your idea, I take 1t, is thaZ 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 propaganda 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. 100000 rubIes which he admitted had been appropriated for propaganda he said that 995 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 fought them. Since they considered America had been less offensive than the other Allies, they had spent no money here.
 Mir. Williams began by an admis- sion that the degree for the natiOn- aIization of women had probably, on the evidence submitted, been passed q by a certain Soviet. But he declared it was not typical.
 Do you mean every Soviet is a law to itself?" asked MT. Humes.
 ''NO," he replied. That was more or less so at first, but the chief criti- cisn now is that the power is becon- ing too centralized. The indications are that it is swinging to the other side very strongly"
 Well, Is not that compatible with the charges of a dictatorship
 Yes, 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 majority of the people were no longer Bolshe vik While he admitted a swing away from BoIshevism 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 Ruseia recently, that in Vlad- ivostok, the Bolshev1k had won, showed that the change had not ye: gone very far.
 He also argued that six million soldiers had taken their guns home with them and would be hard to coerce, but a. little later admitted that this might 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 been much more ironfisted and strong than the Kerensky government was.' '' he admitted a little later.
 He admitted many Bolshevik 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.
 MT. Williams also admitted the So- viet government was not fairly repre- sentative, since the 85 per cent. of peasants have only the same repre- sentaion as the 5 per cent. of work men. He said he was sure this woul5 be remedied, but admitted he had only the leaders word for this, while the Soviet constitution gives one rep resentative to every 25,o00 workmen and one to 125.0o0 peasants. Tt E unfair and unjust he went on. Tho only thing in its favor is that the workmen are strongly in favor or the Soviet government
 He admitted, too, that the revolu- ton was brought about fundamental ly by the desire for property, chiefly land, rather than the high ideals of which he had spoken. But" he added, "the BoIshevik 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- 'lfzation of 12, 900, 900 men with ''only the shooting up of a few Italians anG a. little riotlng'' and the organization of schools He said that lately there had been a decided settling down, an 7cceptance of discipline by the peo- ule and an opening of industry, ac- ording to the best evidence.
 He made a plea for American aio to Russia on the ground of self-inter- st. pointing out her resources ane he vast market she would offer an6 he willingness of the SoViets to guar entee capital at the same time tha' they supervise 1t. Moreover, he re marked under ts Soviet Russta -,ould be much m-re slow to develo3 adustrially, and that It would pe o America's interest not to have an
 ther commercial rival coming int he market Senator Wolcott wa