The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-23
BOLSHEVIK AGENT
DENIES TERRORISM
Williams Tells Senator'S Testi-
mony of Excuses Is Exag-
geratcd or Untrue.
PLANNED A BUREAU HERE
Gives Trotzky Credit for Pro-
noting German Revolution
and Aided Himself.
TANNED A BUREAU HERE

WASHINGTON, Feb. e2.-Albert Rhys
Williams. who has been termed the agent
and propaganda of the Russian Boil
sheyiki In this country. and who de-
scril ed himself as a lecturer, writer and
former Congregational minister, ap-
reared to-day before the Senate commit
tee investigating lawless propaganda.
He said he returned to America to set
ru for the Bolshevikl a bureau similar to
that that formerly maintained in Rus
STA by tho committee on public informa-
ton, but that the plan was abandoned
because the United States did not recog-
nize the Soviets. After going to Russia
o. correspondent for the New York
Epenin1 Post, he said. he became asso-
ciated with Bolshevik Government.
The witness said Russians did not
look with favor upon conditions in the
United States or on what they termed
the glitter class war" here Responding
to a question by Senator Overman
IS. c. Williams said the word Bolshevik
actually meant tho shortest cut to So
cialism." He declared stories of terror
ism in Russia we're exaggerated. and de-
scribing what led to the Bolsheyik sue
cess. said when conditions became intol-
cradle under Kerensky, the people de-
,ermlned to take care of things them
selves. He asserted that not more than
eighteen persons were killed In the eeiz-
ure Of the Government by the Bolsheviki
and denied the truth of stories of the
rape OF the women's battalion"
Denies Evidence of Horrors.
Tho witness said II he believed all the
terrible things that had been said about
L. Dale q I,xrt ror to ,,
would favor hanging them all. but that
he knew many of the stories were untrue
and simply were rumors which had no
foundation In fact.
why" said williams, during all this
evolutionary period and terror they pic
tured. not a single one OF twenty Ameri-
cans who can come here to testify. not
one was ever struck by bullet. I don't
believe any missed a meal, and they
came out Of Russia on an international
sleeping car"
Questioned about his connection with
the Bolshevik Government. Williams said
re was not now in its employ and made
this explanation:
After the signing OF the armistice
the Brest-Litovsk treaty.. Trotzky ad-
dressed an appeal to the toiling masses
OF Germany to rise in revolution. The
President of the American Red Cross
mission in Russia, Raymond Robins,
stated he would give $4,000 for print
ing that and getting II into German
hands He suggested that I should
approach Trotzky. This did. bringing
down upon my head the wrath OF Trotzky
who threatened TO arrest me as an agent
Of American capitalism who was trying
10 bride him.
Immediately after this, however,
there was opened up the bureau of inter-
national revolutionary propaganda with
an appropriation OF 100000 spent
in the languages OF the German and
Austro- Hungarian empires.
Promoted German Revolution.
Il held no official position in this
bureau but cooperated in the produc-
ton OF the illustrated paper which ex-
planned to the Germans how to make a
revolution. Ultimately all this had its
effect.
For the time being. however, It did
not avail to prevent the drive of the
German army upon Petrograd.
to!ned the army that was being hurriedly
recruited to stop this advance. For
many months served l received $50
the pay of a regular soldier. The whole
motive OF my course in Russia was to
keep the German imperialists from de-
s'roying the Soviet republic and
s'-angling the Russian people.
II have fought every imperialistic de-
sgn among the Allies and by Germany
that would throttle the Russian peasants
md workers. To that end l have pre-
sented reports TO members OF the State
Department, Justice Brandeis. Col.
House and through him 70 the President.
MY one idea has been to present the
positive achievements OF that Govern
ment with the aim of promoting closer
cooperation between America and Russia
and an understanding of what has hp-
Teued in Russia in order that we may
avoid the violence and cruelties of a
brutal class war here"
The witness suggested to the commit
tee that 1t call the following, whom he
said held the same view about the
Soviet government as he did:
Raymond Robins OF the Red Cross,
Gregory Yarros, formerly a translator
FOR the Associated Press at Petrograd 4;
Jerome Davis OF the Y. NJ. c. A., Bessie
Beatty editor of McCdPs Md1dsite
Or. Charles +. Kuntz of Iselin. N. J.
W G. HUMPHREYS and Major Thomas