The sun., 1919-04-12
SAY REDS FORCES
SPARE U. S. TROOPS
Soviet Aids Here Tell Of Enter
tainment Offered to Amer
lean Soldiers.
SEE RECOGNITION NEAR
Charges Of Attempt to Upset
Government in This Coun-
try Denied.

Tho Bolshevist Government expects
some sort Of recognition from tho Allies
very soon. Meanwhile Il is trying not
to kill any American soldiers on the
Russian fronts, but ~ feeding them
propaganda and banaueting American
prisoners in order to convince them how
really delightful the Bolshevih really
are. Bolshevist agents In this country
arc not trying to upset It's government.
but are preparing for trade relations
and incidentally are trying to tell
America about Russia as 1t really Is
to- cay"
Such is the answer Of the Russian
Soviet Bureau to the charges made by
the Union League Club. which on Thurs
day night adopted resolutions request
ing the United States to prevent tho
activities Of tho bureau. l. C. A. K.
Martens, representative Of the Russian
Soviet Government in the United
States" was inaccessible yesterday. but
Santeri Nuorteva. secretary and press
agent Of tho bureau, was not The
bureau 10 moving into nearly q whole
floor OF the Tower Building at ITO West
Fortieth street as fast as carpenters
move out and is talking Of taking an
other floor as well. Nuorteva- who Is
Of Finnish birth and smokes Russian
cigarettes made IN America, said:
There Is no state OF war between
the United States and Russia There
has been no declaration OF war either
way. We have heard repeated assur-
ance that the United States Government
has no intention of considering the pres
ent situation q state of war with Rus
sia. Those of US In this country are
not enemy aliens. formally at least We
consider ourselves to be in friendly re-
lations and We expect recognition in the
near future.
IT give you my word that the Soviet
troops are taking extraordinary precau-
tons to avoid killing American SOL
| diers. can get affldavits from Ameri-
| can soldiers who have returned to this
country from Russia that when they
| were surrounded by the Russian troops
and helpless they were not molested.
| Instead the Russian troops said to them
we are not your enemies and want to be
your friends: We merely want you to
go away Americans captured by the
Soviet troops have been taken to Mos.
| COW and given a good time. with the
| opera and little banquets. Then 1t was
explained to them that there was nc
| reason for fighting, and they were sent
| back to the American front. / suppose
| within our own country, It cannot bt
considered criminal"
Nuorteva was reminded that the con.
stitution Of the Russian Soviet republic
| bids its workers organize Soviets every.
where In tho furtherance OF ''the 30
cialist world revolution" He was asked
II Its representatives here intended n
any time to try to overthrow the
American Government. His answer
was indirect:
1.-THE question Of the social revolution
in every country depends upon the
economic and social conditions of thai
particular country. suppose the
Roman Catholic Church has a represen
tative in Washington who 10 interested
in the spread OF Catholicism. Ye
nobody accuses him Of threatening youl
| Government Another example: Chris
tiAns are interested in spreading Chris
tianity. You send religious representa-
| tives to Japan. which you call pagan
You are spreading a religion opposed t
theirs, but they do not accuse you O.
trying to destroy their Government *
we are interested in the spread o
socialism. but no one can rightly accuse
us of attempting to overthrow tn,
| American Government
"In addition We are, must admit, en-
deavoring to tell America oil about tn,
Soviet Government. Our propaganda
consists OF this: Publishing a weekly
bulletin containing the official Soviet de
| crees. news items and refutauons OF re
ports which we believe to be untrue; an
swering questions about our schools. fac
tories and 30 on making TRANSACTIONS o
reports and OF communications from tn,
Soviet to other Governments. and finally
answering accusations
Nuorteva said his chief. Martens, hat
sent his credentials to Washington, bu
had not received even an aclenowledg
ment Of their receipt. Nrortera ais,
said that his hopes of Sow recognition
were based on reports from Paris, no
from Washington lie added that al
though recognition might at first talk
the form merely of trade relations, he be
ueved 1t would eventually be complete.