New-York tribune., 1920-04-19
U. S. Charges
Soviet Envoy
Is German Aid
State Department Asserts
Head of Russian Cooper
atives Plans Exploitation
of Their Own Country
Britain Seeking Trade
NJ. krassin Said to Have
Represented Berlin Inter-
ests at Outbreak of War

WASHINGTON, April 18-The State
Department has obtained information
that the Bolshevik Krassin, head Of the
Russian Soviet delegation now at
Copenhagen, comforting with British
representatives, on plans to open cx-
change of goods with the Russian CO.
operation societies, has long been pro-
German and has worked in the interest
Of German exploitation of Russia.
The department issued :. statement
to-day making public the information
il. its possession. While no comment
way between the Russian Soviet rep
rssentative and the British representa-
cives, the departments statement was
taken as emphasizing this governments
lack of sympathy with the negotiations.
The text of the announcement follows:
Statement Bq Department
IN. Krassin. Commissar Transport
tation in Soviet Russia. is at the head
Of & delegation now at Copenhagen, and
has been sent there by the Soviet with
a view to securing from England an OK
change of goods with the cooperative
societies of Russia The delegation
reached Copenhagen April 7, to begin
negotiations with the British delegation
headed by Edmund Wise, representing
the British Treasury.
information is in the possession of
the Department of State regarding
NJ: krassin's career and his connection
with Germans interested in the ex-
eloltation of Soviet Russia. He is
former German subject, and upon the
outbreak of the World War became a
Russian representing German interests.
He was arrested at Vborg, in 1907,
by the Cars government on the
charge of revolutionary activity, was
imprisoned and was liberated, and sub
sequently granted an amnesty by Rus
sia while he was working at Berlin
IN the Semens Schuchert factory,
large German concern closely con-
nected with other important German
interests in Russia. He established
at Petrograd a branch of that factory
and was chief director Of the branch.
He is close friend and adviser of
Nlcolai Lenine. President of the Coun-
Gil of Peoples Commissars, the prin-
cipal governing body of Soviet Russia.
Affiliated With Germans
"krassin has been closely connected
with Ulman, a German prominent in
the Siemens-Schuchert Company. He
became Russian Soviet Commissar of
Railroads and took charge of the quar-
termaster's department of the Red
army simultaneously with the appoint
ment Of Furstenberg- Ganetsk, the
German agent of great Rhenish in
dustrial combine, as commissar of the
state bank of Soviet Russia Krassin
sent Ulman to Berlin to offer the Ger
man Deutsche Bank concessions ON the
Thurman Petrograd Railroad.
"Krassin was once Bolshevik Commits
sar of Commerce and Trade and origi- !
mated the ten and twelve hour working
day plan in Soviet Russia. In Febru- /
ary. 1919, employees of the Nicolai
Railroad Station at Petrograd requi-
sitioned railroad cars consigned from
the Ukraine to the German Association !
at Petrograd, and four of these en-
ployees We're later shot and the pro-
visions recovered upon the insstence
OF Krassn. The Council of Commits
sars upheld a report which he made
in favor of employment Of a large
number Of German laborers in Russia"