South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-10
No UPRISING Of
RUSSIANS, LACK
Of REAL LEADERS
Escaped Art Dealer Says Not
Aore Than 5 Percent Are
Real BOISheVikS.


now terrible their plight may be-
come. says l. Ssponen, a prominent
art deale; OF that city, who sacri-
iced a fortune or 100000 rubles 10
escape from Russia.
The belief OF starving the pOpula-
tion into starting a revolution is a
heresy." he declares. 80 far as the
Russians are concerned, they viii
simply die.
Gen Yudenitch, without Fin
lands help. has on chance OF TAX
ing PetrOgraG for ne began his cam
paign a month too soon. If ne had
waited until Trotzky's men began to
feel the pinch OF the cold, along
with insufficient food, their lowered
morale might enable the attack 10
succeed"
Tells of Experiences.
Aided BY the wife Of Maxim
Gcrky VI. SapOnen contrived. by
lavish bribery Of the bolsheviki. 10
leave PetrogTad He arrived at Hell
singfors a month ago. To a repre-
sentative OF the press he relat-
I'd the first time for publication
his remarkable experiences from ar
rest in June while serving as "A rep
resentauve Of the Finnish govern
ment in negotiating for the exchange
Of war prisoners NJ Saponen is
native OF Finland. who has resided
in Petrograd for the last 10 years.
Until March" ne said, I'VE for
eigners were never molested. I had
been representing the Danish Red
Cross until took up the exchange
of prisoners on March II.
After securing a written guaran-
tee. signed by Schlovsky the Pc
trograd commandment. and Tchitch-
erin commissioner OF foreign af-
fairs) that my life and property
would, be safe, I was allowed to re-
turn 10 Finland. Nevertheless from
April % until May IA I was kept I'm
detention in my own house and was
formally arrested on June 2. I was
then taken TO Moscow, thrown into
a military camp and treated worse
than a dog simply because / was
Finn. I was Kept in prison until
Aug. 8 when Schlovsky ordered me
to be realese
Contents of House Gone.
The contents of my Petrograd
mouse, consisting of works Of art
jewels valued by Russian experts al
1000. 600 rubles are undoubtedly
carried off and I have no hope Of
seeing them again"
Commenting on the conditions in
Russia. A. Saponen said
The allies blockade is destroy
ing White Russia for the bolsheviki
naturally feed their own followers
Srst and there is little left for the
80. ernment's enemies who are
pershing.
20 wish 20 reitcrate that there is
no possibility OF a counter revolt for
the Russian peasants are incapable
Of acting without strong leaders. II
was the Germans and not the people
who brought about the revolution
which overthrow the emperor and
later KerensNy Before the revolu-
tion people could obtain two or
three pounds of bread Afterwards
they were only allowed one-eighth
- a pound. but they were too ter
fWrlEe0 To protest.
Few Real BOlsheyiks.
There are only three To five per
cent real believers in b0lshevism i'm
Russia. and they. by using drastic
measures. are able 10 swing the
great masses over TO their side"
~. Saponen said that the central
government. despite the control of
the army. exercised little power
over the local soviets hut the boil
sheviki have done considerable con
structive work principally in the es-
adjustment OF trade schools Eager
90 educate the masses they have
opened numerous new kindergartens
and the state takes care of the chill
dren until they reach the age Of Il
he criticised the allies. military
aid 70 the White Russians as ineffec-
tive by saying that the allies do no;
send supplies regularly and in sufi-
Gent quantities
Afraid Of Firms
The Finnish troops could them
selves capture PetroErad as the boil
shevik fear them above all others.
As a result OF the bolshevik propa
sanda during the war a boIshevik
officer announced that ne would
rather fight the devil himself than
the Firms who never know when
they are defeated. Seventy-five per
cent Of the task of conquerinE the
hOlseviki would DC accomplished
with the capture OF Petrograd as
hat IS the only way 90 impair the
blind confidence OF the people who
are believing IN bolshevism and i'm
The invincibiuty OF their leaders"
N Saponen confirmed reports OF
appallng conditions IN PetroCrad
which the winter will make far
worse. and said that all wooden
houses had lonc since been burned
for fuel as well AS the flooring OF
others.
He asserted. however. that the
depletion OF Petrograd's population
was not due so much o. starvation
as 20 the fact that the bolsheviki
mad sent away the boureeoise and
had removed prisoners 20 she inter
lcr.