The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-07-30
DUTCH REFUSED
TO BUY RUSSIAN
CROWN JEWELS

Bolshevik agents have been trying
to sell the Imperial Crown Jewels of
Russia to the Holland government,
but have been refused, says Miss
Katherine Dokoochieff, Russian refu-
gee who arrived in New York Thurs
day on the Steamer PATHS.
The Rolsheviks hope to raise
sufficient funds to carry on their gov
eminent. from this SALE" asserted
Miss Dokoochieff. 1T is rumored that
the jewels, which represent the choic-
est collection in the world are now
in Germany, and that negotiations
for their disposition are being secret
ly carried on there. Holland would
have nothing to do with the Boil
shevk represen tatives realizing of
course that buying the jewels would
be openly countenancing Bclshevism.'
Miss Dokoochieff's father was for
mer1y one of the largest 1and-own-
ers in Russia having extensive pos
sessions in @SamGSa, on the Volga-
These were not confiscated until late
in 1918, although Bolshevik aotfvi-
ties in the district obliged the peo-
pie to flee a year before the actual
seizure Miss Dokooch1eff went to
Tif1is, Georgia, where so many thou
sand Russians fled during the Revo-
luton. Her family, with the excep-
ton of one brother in Moscow, are
somewhere In Siberia
When she arrived in Constantine
pie, late this Spring, and applied to
the French Comptroller for passage
to Marseilles, she was accused of be-
ing Bolshevist, and refused per-
mission to enter France. In spite of
the fact that her family were we'll
known as opposed to the Revolution,
and the confiscation of her property
by the Soviet was known to the
French office, they insisted that she
might carry pernicuous propaganda
into France.
ct believe that all Russians in Con-
stantinople We're subject to such in
suits from the French says Miss
Dokoochieff. after I had paid them
for my ticket to Marseilles, they an
nul1ed the ticket and would not re-
turn my money, which was practi-
ca11y all I had after selling my jew
els, and other va1uables. I found.
however, that when I went to them
accompanied by one of the Ameri-
can women associated with the Near
East Relief, that they were much
more courteous. When one Near East
Relief worker interceded in my be-
half, they returned a part of my
money to me-
The Russian churches have been
subjected to the vilest 1ndignfties, ac-
cording to Miss Dokoochieff. Cigar
cites are stuck in the mouths. of the
images, by the Bo1sheviks, and horses
and cattle are housed In the church
buildings The synagogues, however.
remain untouched, meeting with no
damage. According to Archbishop
Kostronir, seventy-five per cent. of
the Russian population Is either dy-
ing from the diseases which are rife
there, or from the massacres. One
hundred thousand Russian refugees
are in Constanunop1e, and 1900 in
Greece.
''I don't know when We will be able
to return to Russia" said Miss Do
koochieff. 1.-THE general feeling among
the refugees Is that there is no out
side agency that can solve the Boil
shevik problem. We feel that Dostoe-
vslSi's predictions In his novel 1.-THE
Possessed" will be born out eventu-
ally. which Is to say that the peo-
pie themselves will realize what they
are doing-will come - their senses
and recreate instead of trying to de-
stroy Russia"
Miss Dokoochieff is to be the
guest of Mrs, Edward Warren Evarts,
of 213e Lincoln PARK West, Chica-
go, during her stay Yin the United
States.