New Britain herald., 1919-03-08
SEES GERMAN HAND
 IN FALL OF RUSSIA
Ambassador Francis Tells Senate Of Conditions as He Saw Them
CALLS LEVINE HUN AGENT

Declares That kercnsky Government Really Stood For Law and Order
 and Tried to set Up Democratic
 Rule.
 Washington, March S--Ambassa dor David F. Francis, who went to Rus sa in March, 1916, and represented the United States at Petrograd and temporary headquarters until the AL Med and American diplomats depart ed from territory controlled by the Bo&heviki told the story of his exper- fences in Russia today before the senate committee investigating law less propaganda.
 Sent to Draw Up Treaty.
 Beginning with his arrival at Petro- grad when there was no whisper of the coming overthrow of the cZar, MT. Francis explained that his ms sion primarily was to negotiate a new commercial treaty to replace the one stbrogated because of Russas A't'- tude toward travelling American c!tl- zcns of Jewish birth. He told how the foreign minister informed him that no treaties would be negotiated until Russia's relations with the At lies were further defined and how shortly thereafter the conclusion ol a treaty between Japan and kussl1 was announcd. The explanation to the American ambassador was that only commercial treaties had been referred to in the conversation with him.
 Finds Germans IIntrenchcd.
 Mir. Francis said he found the Ger mans so strongly entrenched in Rus- sia that they could not have been dls- lodged in years. Even the war had not broken their control over Russian ~indHstry.
 Tells of NCrcnsky Government.
 Ambassador Francis described in some detail events preceding ana lm- anediately following the overthrow of the czalr and kerensky's ascension to Alover. He said he believed kerenSky made his big mistake when he 1aleu ta arrest and try for treason both Le- nine and Trctzky whom they appeared asg factors in the political s1tuatloh' ' FIi; personal opinion, tounced upon intimate knowledge of condltohS' hS said was that Lenlne actually ""S the brains of the Bolshevist move
  sfhc same time held some sincere .ideas. Trotzl<y was described as be- inc purely an adventurer, who was ;. dominated by Lenine whenever the :. pair disagreed on any subject. Both' he said were usurpers and dld not represent ten per cent of the ltusslah people.
 Stood For Law and Order. .. r-, r-o,,,.,-x .,oxarrp,eut he as Serted, really stood for law and order and did it's best under trying condi- lions to set up a stable democratic government. Throughout the keren- >,lzy regime Mir. Francis said, the bol- sheyists were trying to undermine inc government and they were gwen considerable assistance by monarch ist advocates and the Black Hundred' a These sympathizers with the moh- anchv4 idea thought it might De re- ~ stored should the Bolshevlsts come into power. because they believed the BoIshevists would only last short !. time and then the entire revolution rould be overt thrown in favor ot a monarchy.
 Lenine a German Agent. i Mir Francis said he had no doubt P that T,enine was from the very begin ming an agent of the German govern ment.
 s"The Germans never would have ,,armittod him to come through Ger many had they not know he would be useful to them,' the amoaSsador de- rIared. Moreover, Lenine dlsbursed large amounts of money 1 oeheNe' however, that Lenine was even moro concerned about starting "or1o
 
 f,,rthering the interests of Germany He later not only permitted but en- couraged the reign of terEor "hich 2. still prevails i'll Russia.
 ,F Opposcs EoIsl,cvik Rule. : The ambassador said it was upon : his recommendation that he was au- thorized by the state department to recognize the provisional goVernmen after the overthrow of the czar and he added that he established no rela- lions with the Bolshevist government hut on the contrary he advised the state department constantly that the Rolshevists should not be recognized. He described the Bolshevists as haV- ti,,o. two objects in view when they seized the government; one was to csta blish what they termed the rule of the proletariat and the other was to heln the cause of Germany by fore ing Russia out of the war, MT. Francis said he personally was delighted when the government of the czar was overthrown. He added ~ there was as much difference between the government of the BolsheVlsts and the Kerensky government as there was between the provisional govern ment and that of the autOcracy.