The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-11
HOME CALL GIVEN
TO RUSSIANS HERE
Little Grandmother Of RcvOlu-
ton Says, "See What Con-
ditiOns Are.'
THRONGS WELCOME HER
Meeting Told Of Perfidy Of
Germany and Lenine
Toward Slays.

There were strange contrasts In the
audience which crammed Carnegie Hail
last night. fliing every seat from the
wings at the back OF the platform
to the topmost gallery, to do honor
to Catherine Breshkovsky, tho little
grandmother of the Russian revolution.
There were men and women from Fifth
avenue ard from Rivington street. and
from all the streets in between. There
were jeweled women sitting In the
boxes. and in the body Of tho hall and
high up under the roof were long haired,
keen eyed zen and women with Slavic
features, who sat unmoved and partly
uncomprehending through the proceed
ings in English. but who shook the air
with their shouts when Babushka spoke
some words in Russian, and who were
evidently telling the truth when they
cried in answer 20 her suggestion that
her hearers should go 10 Russia and
see what the conditions are:
I'VE haven't the money to go. Da-
bushha!'
Money Il Lacking.
Speaking OF money, by the way. 1t
must have been rather a poor audience
In spite OF tho gems that sparkled on
the necks of some women. and the pretty
gowns. FOR all tho eloquence OF Rabbi
Stephen Wise of the Free Synagogue,
the commissioned getter OF contributions
for Catherine Breshkovsky's 1000 900
Russian orphans for whom she has come
to appeal--he dubbed himself the "setter
from the Ghetto'-all his eloquence
couldn't wiring from that audience more
than $4,000. OF this, $500 was
dropped In the baskets passed by pretty
vfr1s To-, a,I . no NJ
paid for autographed copies OF Ba-
bushkais book, her life and letters. Paul
NJ. Warburg gave $1,000 for a copy and
William q. Wilcox and Mrs. Wilcox
each took one Mt tha same price Mrs.
Stuart Hartshorn started the ball by
taking a copy at $1,000. Mrs. Frederick
Nathan. Mrs. s., T. GuEgenheim and n
number OF others gave 500 each.
There was n crowd OF we'll known
people on tho etage---Alice Stone Black
well. who has long been one OF the Little
Grandmothers closest friends, though
separated by 80 many miles; Count Ilya
Tolstoy, son of the great writer. and
George KEENAN,, who long ago predicted
that Catherine Breshkovsky would end
her days in Siberian exile and lie at last
under a little cross in that bleak land
but who lived to greet her In Carnegie
Hall last night with a reverential kiss
upon her cheek. That kiss delighted the
audience. by tho way, and was enthusi-
astically applauded.
Little randmother Speaks.
In the midst of this great throng
Breshkovsky was the magnet that at
tracted all eyes. And through the pro-
limlnarS speeches by Mrs. William Eng
lish Walling-Anna Strunsky--by Prof.
Alexander Petrunkevltch OF Yale. Miss
Blackwell. Or, Wise and by Robert Err
sklne Ely, the chairman. everybody
clearly was waiting to hear the Little
Grandmother speak. There was stir
Of satisfaction when at last she rose TO
her feet.
She told Of Russia's hard past history.
how it had wlthstood the shocks OF wild
invaders. and coming down to to-day,
how Germany had for five years "tyran-
nized Russia in concert with her allies.
the treacherous Bolshe Wiki"
Cooperating with Lenine and Trotzky.
the Government OF Germany sought 10
poison the very conscience OF the Rus
and the conscience OF 4 people will never
die The enlightened Russian people
Will come to true democracy."
Babushka lamented that a year ago,
when the Allies might have made the
conditions for a Russian Assembly. they
lost the opportunity. But II was not yet
too late, she said.
The Civic Forum arranged the meet
ing In cooperation with the Friends OF
Russian Freedom.