The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-06
!x!E!NgKE a DEFENDS
THE BOLSHEV|ST
Witness Before Overnan
Committee .Confesses
to Being Conscientious
Director Who Escaped
MilitaryServiceon That
Plea and Advocates
Withdrawal of Allied
Troops From Russia,
Predicting Dire Things
For Europe.

For Europe.
Washington. March t---when Frank
Keddie, OF Edinburg. Scotland, under
took defense OF the Boishevist gov
lernment OF Russia before the Over
man subcommittee of the senate to-
day he nearly created a panic. Sem
ators Overman. Nelson and Sterling,
the only members OF the committee
present. were unable TO restrain their
wrath over Keddie'a testimony.
The witness confessed TO being a
conscientious obtector'' who had
escaped military service in London
upon that plea; he also told the COM
mittee he believed in the teachings
| OF the Society OF Friends and had
been In Russia In charge OF orphan
ages established by that organize ton.
Keddie said he was not supporter
of the present government of Lenine
and Trotsky, but believed 1t was step
In tah right direction. He declared
himself opposed 10 all force or
violence and for that reason could no.
support the acts OF the red guards and
others reaponsible for the bloodshed
| and massacres.
/ IT am not In favor OF tina present
government" he said, but I am in
favor OF what they are trying to do.
They are working toward an ideal
I intend to go back and help them.
What they want and what they are
striving for is to create a condition
iof society where the workingman will
/ " IL T.
spark Of God that ia within him
/ literature. poetry. art. music and all
the other things that are denied him"
| Keddie sail, In answer TO n question
by Senator overuean, that fle did not
believe the time has come for a
change Of this kind In the United
sthates, bat predicted that England.
France, Scotland and other countries
,of Europe viii soon be In the throes
I1f rsvsfutfens He seaid this was ~ss~-
cause those countries need new
social order.
Senator Nelson numbered mum
Der of questions at the witness to
lind out what his views were In what
I4entne and Trotzky have done Ked-
die eraded direct reply. Several
times he appealed for fairplay and
sJro5- stad against ths manner in
which questions were propounded to
him.
The witness strongly orged tho
Withdrawal of the An riean and
allied forces from Russ He said
they had hut enc effec TO force
'aany Russians 70 toiu jth the Boil
SIS who woulI herwise have
q out of syn .athy with them.
Ia
'1n, May Ivy the allied
troops WAS go. sactory from any
patl1t ofaeNle}Soa, a. ~ s.sed with. British
troops at. 4Arnh3&4ssv@ And thsg SAID
Ithey didn't enlist TO fight the Boil
lsheviks and wanted to go home. The
situation created by the aJpanese
troops there ~ very bad. have been
/ told by American officials in Serbia
that the Japanese have been financing
the Cossacks and continue TO stir up
trouble. arm against all revolution
and do urge that all troops be with
drawn from Russia. II this Is done,
lyou will find that many of the lead
ling men and women of Russia will
,uuit the Bolshevist movement and a
new party will be created which will
restore order and create n new Russia,
THE mere fact that the troops are
these causes such people 30 ally
themselves with the Bolsheviks be-
cause they regard these foreign troops
as agents OF the reactionary and cap
itaIistic forces to which they are OPP
posed"
| kcddie protested vigorously against
what he designated AS attempts to put
a wrong construction upon his words,
He declared he was not supporter
of the present government but did
believe that Russians should be per-
United TO work out their own destiny
without outside interference.
Miss Bette Beatty, who went In
Russia In 1917 for a San Francisco
newspaper and who Is now editor et
McCalIs magazine, was also, wit
mess She was asked aaout the recent
ldecree ordering the Naturalization OF
lwomen aud declared that the order
had been misunderstood.
All 1t meant was that the church
land state were 20 be. separated in. re
lgard to marriage" she said. "UnGer
1.-THE car there had to be both ciy.l
and religious ceremony. the soviet
imerely makes The church ceremony
iop:iontl."
Raymond Robins, OF Chicago, who
went to Russia. for the American
Red Cross. will be heard by the COM
m ttaa tomorrow.