Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-06

.sla. EVEN during he early part OF
Kerensky regime he said, he be-
am conscious OF the fact that it was
railing because it did not pay enough
districts of Russia. Kerensky's civil
power, the witness asserted, was In
emcient and the. soviet control grew
up naturally. F
He discussed the economic paralysis
in Russia, saying that 1t began with
the overthrow o sthe car and in-
creased downaathrough the KeEepsky
regtmeSa1He gave as q reason the fact
that before the war Germans were
that when they disappeared there was
no one competent to take their places.
Mr.. Robins said that he was anti
Socialist when he went to Russia and
that his experiences there had not
changed his ideas in regard to Social
ism.
Col. VIM. B. Thompson, head Of
the American Red Cross. mission in
Petrograd. who had been charged
with spending money to aid the Boil
sheyik. Mr:.Robins, said. never spent
he declared, $1,000. 600 used by
Americans in an effort to convince
the Russians that German victory
meant. defeat Of the Russian revolu-
ton was furnished from Colonel
Thompson's private fortune.
In addition to this, MI. Robins said
a request was made of the American
government for an additional million
in October, 1917, and a million dollars
a month for three months to carry on
propaganda in the interior Of Russia,
warned, he said. that unless this
money was forthcoming the Bolshe-
vik would gain control and a separate
peace between Russia and Germany
was likely.
Instead of receiving approval Of the
project, Mr.. Robins testified, the gov.
eminent cabled that a representative
OF h committee on public informa.
ton would be sent to Russia to study
the situation. When the committee
representative arrived the Bolsheviki
There were only two groups ir
Russia Mr.. Robins said, the soviet
and the reactionaries, and lack o.
sympathy on the part Of the Allies fol
the problems Of the Kerensky govern
ment made it impossible for thai
regime to gain the support of thu
soviets.
"Kerensky was a sincere friend o,
the" Allied~cause," declared the wit
..eSs' anu Wouiu nave WOThcu UuI {
liberal Socialist program" Many o.
the earlier leaders of the revolution
preferred to cooperate with the Ger
mans rather than with the s~oviets, h.
added, and as a result the Bolshevik
refused any, connection with thest
men when they came into power.
Saw RevOlutionists GAIN
Mr.. Robins said he saw early dur
Ing the Bolshevist revolution that tn,
revolutionists were bound to becom'
the real power in Russia because the!
had the masses of the Russian PEG
pie behind them, although German;
and possibly. certain dishonest ele
ments were for the moment in con
troll. He said he went to see Trotzk!
and told him that the Red Cross de
sired to continue. to servc the Russian
people without injuring the Allie
cause.
II told T%rotzky," the witness con
tinued. that l would deal with who
ever happened to be in power. Ate
that Trotzky let us send a train o
supplies to Rumania hat got through
on time to Jassy under Bolshevia
protection, Trotzky was perfectl
frank in saying he believed in an in
~ternational revolution which eventu
ally would reach America, but he re
IllZcu ina AIneFlCd dL lndt Ilnle wa
the one aeeney through which til
economic situation in Russia could b
improved. He was not friendly t
America, but thought that Americ
would be friendly to the Bolshevis
government because its ideas wer
dramatically. opposed to the ideas q
the German junkers and m%ilitarists.
At that time, the witness said, tn
Germans were trying by every mean
to obtain. raw materials from. Ruasis
and he thought something should b
done to prevent them from receivin
these materials. He said Trotzky OF
fered to permit Allied officers to g
to the frontier and enforce the en-
! barge on raw materials going to Gel
many. e
II asked for an explanation of thi
attitude" said Mr.. Robins, IAN
Trotzky said IT, raw materials coul
be prevented from going to German
that government. would have to Civ
Russia a fair peace
Mr.. Robins said General Willial
v. Judson, military attache Of tn
. H- " '"E+t-. s. -.