The Washington times., 1919-02-13
SHAPLEN PROTESTS TO
SENATE AGAINST LINKING
JEWS WITH RUSS REDS

Joseph Shaplen, a newspaper man
formerly in Russia, today protested
the linking OF Jews with the Bolsho-
vik movement. q.
In a telegram to Senator Over
man, chairman of the Senate com
mittee probing BoIshevism in Rus
sia and this country, Shaplen de-
clared: 'It is unjust to indict a
whole people by insidious sugges-
tion."
G. A. Simons told the committee
yesterday that the Bolsheviki derived
much strength from Jews in New
Yor, and that many Jews were
prominent IN the Bolshevik councils
in Russia
Net AntI-SemItie.
He declared. however. that he was
not snti-Semitic and that Jews as a
race were not behind the movement.
THE 'bund,' the biggest Socialist
party in Russia, is leading the fight
on Lenine and Trotzky," wired Shap-
len.
'Tt is unjust to. indict a whole peo-
pie by insidiOus suggestion. BY doing
so the testimony submitted before
your committee is playing into the
hands of the Black Hundreds, who
are only waiting for the downfall of
Bolshevism to massacre Jews in Rus
sia-"
The observations given before the
committee today by Prof. Ralph Den
mis-, OF Northwestern University, were
principally in response to questions
by committee members and did not
form a connected story. He was the
first witness.
He denied statements Of returning
travellers that the industries Of Rus
STA are running. The industries are
not running, he said In three of the
largest towns of Russia that he had
visited only two or three small fac
tories were in operation.
Apartments Searched.
Dennis told Of repeated searches
Of his apartments by Bolshevik SOL
diers, who were looking for civilians
firing from windows, although the
house was under the protection of
the British government.
In a hotel where he had lived there
were thirteen German officers COM
manding the Red Guards. Six of
thems he was told, could not speak
Russian.
Il could hear their stein songs at
night" he said There was a very
For the most part these German
officers kept under cover. scrupuIous-
ly avoiding showing themselves in
daylight on the streets.
The young cossacks who he'd been
at the front, Dennis said. were prac-
tically all Bolsheviki. The older cos
sacks who owned their own land were
not
"The small per cent Of the people
that did own land were against the
whole movement, naturally" he OBJ
served.
Emphasizing the inhumanity Of
Bolshevik officials, he told OF riding
TO q railway station with one of them
in a cab. The cab was driven through .
a huge crowd, several Of whom were
killed and a great number injured,
he said.
Bolshevism's chance of gaining a
foothold in America depends largely
on Industrial conditions the next
month, Ralph Dennis, who returned
from Russia last September, today
told the investigating committee.
THE movement extends from New
York to San Francisco" he explained.
''It is fairly well organized with the
nation divided into districts under
local leaders. Whether or not ii shall
part on what our Industrial condi-
tiOns are during the coming month"
Testimony Discounted.
a major portion of the testimony
yesterday by the Rev. G. A 'Simons,
former head of the Methodist mis-
sion in Russia, was discounted
because of his biased religious
attitude, his lack OF first hand
information even though he had spent
a number of years in Petrograd and
his ignorance of the workings 9. the
Soviet government. When asked as
to what form of government existed
in Russia at the time of his depar.
ture, DR.. Simons said Soviet. buJ
could not give a compref psIve or
understandable outline of at this
form Of government constit ID, and
instead drifted off into a bi4 ID dis
cussion Of what he thought Of "apos
tate Jews" and priests of the Rus
sian Church"
The Rev. Simons claimed % be Al
Christian Socialist" and this plea
he said, saved his life from Red
Guards often. !