The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-09
ALL RUSSIA WILL
 B[ EXPLOITED BY
 GERMANS|F REDS REMAIN |NPOWER
Former Ambassador Francis Says Germany Will Be Stronger 10 Years Hence
 Than in 1914 Unless BOl- shevism Is Wiped Out
By Associated Press

|
 | Washington, March 0.-Da-
 vid R. Francis, who went to Russia as American ambassa- dor in 1916 before the over Ithrow of the monarchy and who remained there until after the
 bolshevists had seized the gov
 ernment, in testifying today be- fore the Senate committee in
 vestigating lawless propagan- da, warned that should the bol- |shevists be permitted to remain lin power all Russia would be Iexploited 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.
 l Ambassador Francis told the commit 1 tee complete and thorough understand ing of the Russian menace convinces him
 that with the bolshevists in power in Russia, peace not only in Europe, but throughout the entire world, was an utter iimpossibilty He said even now there was good reason for believing German
 and Austrian officers were with the red forces operating in northern Russia, and he added the Germans steadily were get | ting d grip upon the vitals of Russia and her industries.
 PROPOSAL SENT WILSON
 MT. Francis further testified informa- ton had reached him that Raymond l Robins, former American Red Cross com
 missioner to Russia, had upon his return l to the United States, carried a proposal from the boshevik government to Presi- ] dent Wilson, This proposal, he said, | he understood, was an offer of certain I concessions to the American government ] similar to those granted Germany in the 1 treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The ambassador said so far as he knew, MT. Robins was never given an opportunity to present l the proposal to the President.
 ! 1 the committee, MT. Francis said it was 1 his understanding the soviet government I did not desire to make a similar pro- 1 posal to Great Britain, France and the other allies. On the contrary his in l formation, he said, was to the effect that the bolshevists wished to conceal the proposal from the governments associat- ! ed with the United States.
 | The ambassador was asked what would happen if American and allied troops
 were withdrawn from northern Russia and in reply asserted he was positive the bolshevists would sweep in and engage in an orgy of murder and destruction on l a scale such as the world had never seen.
 1 Reports that the bolshevists were send | ing their agents into Germany, France and England were upheld by the am- bassador. who said he believed efforts | in this country thus far had taken the l form of money for use in spreading Of 1 their propaganda. He told Of the de- flivery of bolshevist propaganda to the armies of the allies and the United States l in France.
 l The ambassador said the soviet govern ment had recently been petitioned not l to carry out the denationalization Of cer- | tain banks, the objects of the petitioners
 being, he said, to allow German agents to obtain control of the stock of these l institutions.
 FEW FAVOR BOLSHEVISM 1 Mir Francis said it was not true that the mass of the Russians favored the rule of the bolshevists. As a matter or | fact according to Ambassador Francis, | less than a constantly dwindling 10 per cent of all the people in Russia belonged l to the bolshevist. He painted a vivid picture of the terror that reigns and told
 of one instance where the gutters from court yard in Petrograd actually ran with blood from the victims of the boi- shevsts Many were killed without even 1 charges being made against them and on 1 several occasions, the ambassador as serted wholesale killings were lndulged I in. He said more than 800 innocent host ages were killed at one time and his op- servation of conditions and affairs h
 Russia led him to believe the bolshevists l in their every day practices committed excesses far beyond even the widest dreams of anarchists.
 | Anarchists, as I undestand them, ne ldeclared. believe only in the destruction tof property The bolsheists believe in the destruction of property and life as well. l for they realize that their only means
 of continuing in power is by killing all lthose who dare to oppose them Flat contradiction was given by Am l Ibassador Francis to statements of pre- vous witnesses before the committee 10 I the effect that a free press existed Tn | Russia.
 1 The ambassador discussed Colonel Rob- ins at some length. He said he had heard the Red Cross representative referred to 1 as the .mouthpiece of America and the | reference became so frequent he was obliged to issue a public notice saving he represented the American government and statements coming from any other source were unauthorized. MT. Francis declared Colonel Robins wanted him to follow the bolshevist government to
 Moscow when it moved there from lPetrograd. The Red Cross representa- tive was said by the ambassador to have had every facility placed at hIs disposal lby the bolshevists with whom he was persona grata.
 ROBINS VERY POPULAR i He said when Colonel Robins travelled
 the bolshevists telegraphed ahead to help him in every way and that he even
 (Continucd en Page Tws)