The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-03-09
AMBASSADOR. SAYS GERMANS ARE UNDERMINING RUSSIA
I. AND WILL BE VlCTORS OF WAR WITHIN TEN YEARS If
. BOLSHEVISTS ARE PERMITTED TO REMAIN IN CONTROL
FRANCIS WARNS AMERICA
AGAINST EXPLOITATION OF
SOVIET NATION BY HUNS

Washington, March 81
David r. Francis, who went
to Russia as American am
bassadOr in 1916, before the
overthrow of the monarchy,
and who remained there UNI
til after the bOlshevists had
e,seiZed the government, in
testifying to day before the
senate committee investi-
eating lawless propaganda,
warned that should the Dol.
shevists be permitted to re-
main in power, all Russia
would be exploited by the
Germans. Within 10 years
under such conditions, he
said, Germany would be the
victor of the war, in that the
nation would be stronger in
every way than it was in
1914.
Ambassador Francis told
the committee that a COM
plete and thorough under
standing of the Russian
menace convinced him that
with the bOIshevistS in pow
er in Russia, peace not only
in Europe but throughout
the entire world was an ut
ter impOssibility. He said
that even now there is good
reasOns for believing that
German and Austrian Off
GERS are with the red
forces operating in north
ern Russia, and he added
that the Germans steadily
are getting a grip on the Vi
tails of Russia and her in
dustries.
Mr.. Francis further testi-
led that information had
cached him that Raymond
Robins, former American
Red Cross commissioner to
Russia, had upon his return
to the United States carried
a proposal from the bOlshe-
vik government to Presi-
dent Wilson. This proposal,
he said he understood, was
an offer of certain cOnceS-
SiOns to the American gov
ernment similar to those
GRANTED Germany in the
reaty of Brest-LitOvsk.
The ambassador said that,
so lar as he knew, Mr.. Rob-
ins never was given an Op-
pOrtunity to present the pro-
pOsal to the president.
Proposal to Be Secret
In reply to questions from mem
bers OF the committee, Mr. Fran
els said it was his understanding
that the soviet government did not
\ desire to make d similar proposal
to Great Britain, France and the
other allies On the contrary, his
information, he said, was to the
effect that the bolshcvist wished
to conceal the proposal from the
governments associated with tne
United States.
The ambassador was asked what
would happen ii America and all
lied troops were withdrawn from
northern Russia, and in reply as
serted that he was positive the
bolshevists would sweep in and en-
gage in an orgy Of murder and
destruction on a scale as the world
never has seen.
Reports that the bolshevlsts are
sending their agents into Ger
many, France and England were
upheld by the ambassador, who
said he believed the efforts in this
country thus far had taken the
form of money for use in Spreading
their propaganda He told OF the
delivery OF bolshevist propaganda
TO the armies of the allies aud the
United States IN France,
AZ The ambassador said ,he soviet
' government recently had been pc
titioned not to carry out the de-
naturalization OF certain banks,
the objects of the petitioners being
he said, to allow German agcncS
to obtain control OF the stock Of
these institutions.
~ Not 10 Per Cent Bolshevists
4 Mr.. Francis said it is not true
that the mass of Russians favor the
rule of the boshevists AS mat
ter of fact, according to Ambassa-
dof Francis, less than consia ltly