The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-12-19
SCHOOLBOY Of Il
HEADS RADICAL
ORGANIzAT
Self Confessed Anarchist Youth
Awaits Deportation
STUDENT OF SOCIALISM
Ready to Go to Russia and Sacrifice
Self for Cause, He
Declares

New York, Dec. lS.--Thomas Buhka
mob, the 17.year.old self-confessed
schoolboy anarchist now on Ellis ISL
and awaiting deportation to Russia as
a dangerous alien, who says he obtain
ed his education" in radicalism from
hooks obtained at the New York Pub
lie Library. in an interview with re-
preventative of the Associated Press,
indicated that a real menace to Ameri-
can institutions rests upon many
free bookshelf.
"Some rich men have unwittingly
aided the spread of revolutionary doc
trines." he said referring to the mil
lions invested in libraries all over the
English-speaking world. mad no
trouble in obtaining the radical boons
/ desired. printed in Russian, from the
seth street and Lexington avenue
branch of the New York Public LII
brary."
The youth who, shortly after gradu-
ating from a New York public school,
became the secretary of theUnicn OF
Russia Workers. Local, an anarchist
organization in Brooklyn with men,
bership of $50, discussed with perfect
frankness the causes which had led
him to his impending Punishment from
the United States. The first step. he
said, had been socialism, theory fav-
ored by some CT the teachers in his
school. 1t was not radical enough, he
said. and so he took up anarchy.
Buhkanob would prove a study for
the psychologist. He is more than
ordinarily intelligent and quick-wit-
ted. A pair of Eight blue eyes peer
from beneath a shock of very light
brown hair and when he smiles he
shows a fine set of well-kept teeth,
Well-dressed and supplied wi h an abun
dance of cigarettes he expressed con
tentment with his lot and hoped he
would soon be sent to Kronstad or
Niini-Novgorod. in Russia, where, he
said there were anarchist!c commnues
The necessity of leaving his mother
and two sisters, one Of whom is a
student in a Brooklyn oh school and
zone of whom share his views, caused
him few regrets, he said because
zone must be willing to sacrifice h.m-
self for a cause
The prisoner came to the United
States from Vo hynia, in the Ukraine,
or "LittleRussia,' with his mother in
1912 when ten years old His father,
Russian mujik, is dead. For FIVE
years he attended a New York public
school graduating in 1917. He had
been taught the usual branches in
Guiding a knowledge of the United
States constitution. He said he had
no use for governments of any kind
because they were all dishonest"
Buhkanob said few of the boys and
girls in school entertained the views
he did Mos. of them preferred to
spend their leisure time at the movies.
He liked to read history, philosophy,
socic ogy and economics.
The boy said he had no sympathy
for Bolshevism because it represented
a form of goyernmnt or authority for
both Of which he professed contempt.
When told that statistics showed
that more than 1S3000,000 Russians
could neither read or write, Buhkanob
said he wanted TO go back to Russia,
just the same, ito help them" He
said he had no use fer any government
even though it protected his life and
property. enabled him to earn a good
living and to dwell in peace and com
fort
e. II. Anderson, director of the New
York Public Library, in statement
regarding BuhkanCbs charges that he
had obtained anarchists literature
from one of the library branches, said
he had been unable to find the books
Buhkanob mentioned listed in the
catalogue. Certain works by Kropotkin
and other similar writer's, he said,
printed in Russian, were undoubtedly
on the shelves but they were not lin.
cendiary or seditions" and we're books
Of high literary value.