The sun., 1919-03-23
ALLIES MISLED ON Z
RUSSIA, SAYS ROBINS
Betrayed by False Information
They Have Acted stupidity,
He Asserts. ...,
HE URGES ARMISTICE
Tells Audience at Luncheon 1t
Is Race Between Ger
many and U. s. -.

1uduy anu Os ~ E"
On his feet for three hours and five
minutes Mt a luncheon of tho League OF
Free Nations in the Hotel Commodore
yesterday, Col. Raymond Robins. In one
OF the longest speeches ever heard out
side n Senate fllbuster. told the story of
his dealings with the Kerensky and
Bolehevik governments duringNthe eleven
mont he spent In Russia az member
of the American Red Cross mission.
While personally deening the Soviet
programme economically impossible and
morally wrong. Col. Robins pictured the
allied Governments, including the United
States. as having been betrayed by false
Information into acting with fatal
stupidity In their course toward Russia
since the fall Of Kerensky.
He said that SO per cent Of the Rus
SLAMS were behind the Bolshevists and
that Nine. Breshlovsky, the grand
mother OF the revolution" who asserts
3pst the opposite to be true, is n noble
woman whose deception in her old age
by agencies of reaction is one OF the
tragic facts of history.
Unable to Comprehend.
He pictured Russia as country IN
which per cent. of the people-the mill
tary and diplomatic and aristocratic
per cent. with tea table. indoor minds, "
had been unable to comprehend what
was going on in Outdoor Russia which
he had taken pains to explore. end ha.,
misled the rest of the world as to the
true nature and scope OF the Bolshevist
sweep.
TNl D.
what Ambassador David II. Francis ha.
said about Col. Robinss activities ia
Russia. and added that he had beer
careful to preserve all the proof OF wha,
he had done and been instructed to do
including instructions from the Ambas.
sador as 70 conversations with Trotzky
and Lenine.
or the future Col. Robins said: IT,
may yet be possible for the Allies to
save the situation instead of forcing
Russia into the hands OF the Germans
There are only two centres OF gravity
toward which the Russian Government
can turn, Germany and America. ],
will be necessary to break through the
barrage of lies and Islander and find the
truth. Let us deal with facts and no,
mere decisions.
II would advocate first Of all the
lifting of all embargoes on the Rus
sian front SO that the women and chill.
dren of Russia shall not starye: tbs
entering into an immediate arrnistics
on all fronts and ne retention of only
enough soldiers to insure the free pas.
sage Of supplies through the Red Cross
and the sending OF a commission of in.
quiry composed Of Industrial and trade
experts TO Moscow to report on the bes;
means of bringing about economic
relief
Trot.ky and Lenine,
When asked whether he believed
Trotzky and Lenine to he German
agents, Col Robins said: There will
Be historic records made. but at this
time l wish to state my deliberate
judgment that these two men were Sin.
cerely in the social revolution, wsrs
engaged in a world revolutionary move.
ment with no love for the Allies and iest
for the German military autocracy.2s
He never had known either of then
to freak his word to him. Col. Robin,
said and in several instances Lenint
went out Of his way to help him. a
great personal risk. ~
"At no time" he added. did Trot9is,
or Lenine pretend any friendship, fol
America or conceal the fact that they
hoped for a proletarlat revolution
throughout the world. They were per
fectly sincere, even when they &C
cepted our help
The 1900 men and women attendin,
the luncheon. whose chairman wa,
Frederic C. Howe, United States Com
missioner OF immigration. seemed fol
the most part IN sympathy with tn,
speaker. When, at the close he said
II believe that Russia has the right I,
have the kind OF Government the Rus
sian people want. and l do not beiiev,
that any Government set up by foreign
rifles can ever be maintained except b,
foreign rifles" he was cheered fol
several minutes.
Think Robins Is Deceived.
Count Ilya Tolstol and Gen. Oberou.
choff, Military Governor OF Kiev unde
the Kerensky Government. indicated b,
questions they asked In a period afte
the main speech that they thought Col
Robins himself was deceived as to tn
popularity Of the Bolshevist rule anon,
the Russian people.
Capt. Vladimir Hurban. representa-,
the Czecho-Slovak Republic here. blurte.
out:
Does Col. Robins deny that Germa,
: officers organized the Russian Re,
Guards for the BolshevikiT'
II believe" replied the speaker. tina
Czecho-Slovak soldiers have unwit
tingly been used in Siberia as the in
struments of reaction. Up to the TIM
that / left (June. 1919 I deny tina
there were German officers leading tn
Red Guards in Siberia or elsewhere
What took place after I left / don
know"
For III" rSst time Col. Robins toll
what he said was the trur-story VI H..
$1,000, 900 which William Royce Thomp
son, who headed the Red Cross mission
was reported to have given last year 4
aid the Bolsheviki. Col. Robins said tn
million was given all right. but It wa
TO aid the provisional Governmen
against the Bolsheviki.
Col Robins called his talk zone View
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