The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-01-20
SOVIET ARK
AT HELSINCFORS
Russians Deported by United
States Officially Welcomed
to Native Land.
CEREMONY OUT ON ICE

Helsingfors, Jan. 20.--The United
States TRANSPORT Buford. which
brought 249 Russians from the United
States to Finland. arrived at Helsing-
fors Monday afternoon, having sailed
from Hango yesterday morning with
tt destroyer Ballard, her convoy.
Ceremony On e.Covered River.
Terijoki. Finland. Jan. z0.--Rus-
slams who were deported from the
UNITED States were given what might
be termed an official reception Just
outside this village Monday. In the
crowd that greeted Alexander Berk-
man, NHmma Goldman and their
comrades" was M. Zorien, member
of the all I-soviets' executive commit
tee. whM after a brief conference
with Befkman, agreed to permit the
whole party to enter bolshevik Rus
sia.
There is no question they win be
welcomed in Russia" said M. Zorien.
We will give them work according
to their professions and trades. but
first we must provide them with COM
Portable homes and feed them we'll"
There was slight delay in get
ting in touch with the bolsheviki,
Whose lines were about a mile dis
frontier of soviet territory. When
finally a conference had been ar
ranged, Berkman, accompanied by
Finnish officers and newspaper cor
respondents, went out on the ice,
meeting the bolsheviki in the middle
of the stream. Both parties con-
spicuously displayed white flags, the
one carried by the bolshevik soldiers
being a tablecloth tied to red pole.
After a short parley, the soviet Of
ficials summoned the members of the
soviet committee of Petrograd, which
included Joseph -Tendeberg, former
British labor leader, and M. Zorien
The committee was conducted to Te-
riioki, where conference was held.
On the way back to the village, M.
Zorien told Berkman that Admiral Kol-
chak had been made prisoner in Sibe-
ria. This news was shouted to other
deportees, who were leaning out Of the
windows of the train, and was received
with cheers.
Shortly after the decision to receive
the deportees was reached. the whole
party detrained at point where wood
road leaves the railway and runs to-
wards the forest. A few who were un-
able to walk were placed In sleighs.
Finnish soldiers guarded the road. and
the transfer was made without a. hitch.
| Asanf, ettgaaii NseiSea9f M tho British
R4d Cross. entered soviet RuSsfa with
the deportecs for the purpose of ar
ranging shipment of supplies to Brit
ish prisoners. The train waited for HIM
at Vibog, and 1t was not until O'Clock
this morning that It reached Terijoki.
Conditions have considerably inn
proved In Petrograd according to NJ
Zorien. who said every one there was
getting one and n quarter pounds of
bread per day.. There was compara-
lively little idlehess and wood and fuel
| We're more abundant, making life more
| pleasant than heretofore he said The
| greatest difficulty had been experienced
| in getting coal to operate railways but
| recently, as a result of improved trans
| port. some had been brought up from
, the south. M. Zorien spoke enthusiasts
| ticaly OF an experiment begun last
week in organizing military forces for
work.
"Our crack third army, which was
the best Of those used in Siberia against
| Kolchak. was withdrawn from the
front" he said, "and although this or
| ganlzation is kept under strict military
discipline. it is no longer fighting, but
is a working machine. Its principal task
is supplying Petrograd with food which
| is secured direct from peasants. and
| bringing In wood. As our military re-
| quirements decrease we hope to con-
vert more of our troops to industrial
| purposes, still keeping each unit intact
| on a military footing"