Evening star., 1920-01-11
MARIENSCONFERS
WITH SEVERAL j. s.
COMMERCIAL MEN
Business Associates Expect
ed to Testify in His Behalf
Before Senators.

Gu w iCSliy III ITO OCIiott
Before Senators.
A number of prominent American
business men, manufacturers and ex-
porters yesterday were in conference
with Ludwig c. A. 4. Martens. self
styled soviet ambassador to the United
States, who has been subpoenaed to
appear at meeting this week of the
subcommittee of the Senate foreign
relations committee to relate his con-
nection with the circulation of radical
propaganda in the United States.
Announcement to this effect was
made to The Star last night by S.
Nuorteva. secretary to Martens.
According.to Nuorteva. the business
men represent some of the largest
firms in the country. All of them, he
committee hearing to testify in behalf
of Martens.
Conferred With Martens.
These business men and manufac-
turers are anxious to have the United
States establish trade relations with
Russia" said Nuorteva. 1T was with
this end in view that they voluntarily
came to Washington to testify at the
Senate subcommittee hearing. They
We're in conference today with Mr..
Martens"
One of the business men who con-
ferred with the Ambassador" accord
ing to Nuorteva. was E. 2. Jennings.
president of the Lehigh Machine Com
pany of Lehighton. Pa
B. Bobrof. a Milwaukee exporter.
and J. c. Larmon of the firm of Rain
of 1athes, have written Martens they
will be in Washington today or Mon
day, it was said.
Nuorteva said that approximately
1,090 American business men have
signified their desire to establish
and that the list will be presented
to the subcommittee.
Martens. who was to have appear
ed tomorrow before the Senate sub
committee. will probably not be
called to appear before Tuesday. it
was. said last night The soviet
"amba ssador" refused to comment
on reports that former Senator
Thomas Hardwick of Georgia and A.
E. PilIsbury, former attorney gen.
eral of Massachusetts,, had been
asked to represent him.
1t was said that the possibility OF
Martens securing immunity from
Department of Justice depOftat tion
proceeding+a warrant has been
issued for the Ambassador arrest
by testifying before the subcom-
mittee was considered without caus-
ing any change of plan. 1t was not
determined whether the subcommit-
tee will call Gregory Weinstein. who
is said to be Martens "right-han
man" now held at Ellis Island to
await the result of deportation pro-
ceedings.
May Not Hear Weinstein.
o n1..., .o;d tho s,,hcom NIT
tee might be able to obtain sufficient
information from Martens and his
secretary without hearing Weinsteln
whose appearance would have TO De
arranged by the Department or Jus
tice. Government officials SAID yester
day that the warrant for Martens
arrest would probably not be served
until after he had completed ms testl-
urony. which would take several days
Martens emphatically denied yester-
day that he had any dealings with the
various radical organizations seeking
to overthrow law and order in this
country.
IT have been simply attempting to
get the friendly cooperation OF the
United States with Russia. ne saao;
ANY stories thai. have been linked
nm with radical movements in the
United States are unfounded. l am
seeking to establish commercial re-
lations with Russia"
Martens attention was called to
dispatch from Chicago which stated
that he had helped finance; the com
munist and communist labor parties IN
that city; that Cancelled check for
SI2O, bearing Martens Endorsement.
had been found among the archives of
the communist labor party
THAT is a falsehood." said Martens
"I financed no communist labor party
or any other radical organization"
Statement to Correspondents.
In a statement to newspaper men.
Martens said:
Newspaper reports that United
States officials plan to take action
against me on the allegation that l
am an enemy alien. II true. are
amusingly Incredible The United
States is not at war with Russia. and.
being a Russian citizen. I cannot be
an enemy alien. I understand that
some people desire to take advantage
of the fact that 1 was born in Rus
sia of German parents. and that be-
America justly condemned, practice of
the former German government to
regard children of its subjects. al
though born and raised elsewhere, as
citizens of that country, I have had
some annoyance. --.-
The faCtS OF the matter, however,
are that since 1917 have been legally
a citizen of Russia. the country in
which 1 was born and raised. I have
evidence of my Russian
If anybody wants to Gre
ate complications on this point, it is
only additional evidence of the COM
plete lack of any real foundation for
any charges against me.
Martens said that "soviet Russia
has no unfriendly designs on the
United States"
Eve only know that relations will be
(between Russia and the
United States) sooner OF later and if
my presence is not desired in America
somebody else will be the medium re-
ceiyed by the United States govern
ment as the establishment of such re-
la inns he said IF I can in any WaY