The Washington times., 1921-02-03

veal skirts to the wearer's ankles.
starved. But 1 was told frankly that.
while they liked me. this would not
prevent them from putting me TO
death without q Qualm IL ! stood In
their way.
"I paid strict attention to my work
and showed no interest In anything
else. Twice l felt that ] was under
suspicion and was very much fright
ened. The atmosphere everywhere
was one OF intense and constant sus-
picion. Moscow was full or spies.
Traps might have been set to dis
cover whether / was a spy or not. but
II so. knew nothing OF IT, They
could have said, Take her out and
shoot her. In my presence. but II
they said II in Russian / could not
have understood IT."
Mrs. Sheridan said that as far as
she could observe the Bolshevist
leaders lived on the poorest OF fare
and were half starved. Her hosts,
the Kameneffs. she said. fed on rice.
cabbage soup, the meat OF animals
which she could not identity and on
black bread, wet and sticky enough
to adhere to the wall on slight pres
sure. While expressing admiration
for the work OF Wells. Mrs. Sheridan
sa Id she thought his attempt to sum
up and draw conclusions about Rus
sia WAS a mistake.
az don't think II Is safe to attempt
to draw conclusions about Russia"
she said. "You can only look at II
with interest and ask. What Is this
horrible thingT"
BOLsHEvIsT LEADERS LOYAL
Mrs. Sheridan said she found the
Bolshevist officials and leaders very
loyal to one another. This loyalty,
contbined with the fact that those
in power now hold all the money and
organized force In Russia explain the
continuance Of Bolshevist rule.
"They remain because there Is no
force to overthyow them" she said.
"Other leaders In Russia that might
arise are, generally speaking, men OF
the same type as those now In pow
or. There is no hope from the refugee
class, the old mobiles and rich Rus
SLAMS who have fled to other coun-
tries. They do little for Russia except
lament and there seems to be no
hope for Russia through them.
"The only future that ! can see
for Russia is from the inside, by evo-
luton from the present system. Rus
sia Is moving a little to the 'Right.
1t touched the extreme Left, and u
turning back. England. France. ana
other European countries are moving
to the Left that is toward radical
ism"
Mrs Sheridan said she wrote her
diary with no thought that 1t would
be published.
.When l got the chance to go to
Russia" she said, ~ did not let II be-
come known. because knew that
friends would try 70 dissuade me: ]
conf,tIed II OILY to one friend. had
kept a diary all my life and continued
10 do sos without the faintest 1dea
OF printinK 1t. But the friend ! hao
confided in happened to be frieno
Of Sir Stuart Campbell, the new man
aging director of the London Times,
and on my arrival at Newcasue ny
came and practically took IL from
me-"
rRoTzKY SAT FOR HOURS.
Mrs. Sheridan said Trotzky was
less revolving than he appeared 10 De
in many Of his pictures. He sat 10.
her twenty hours and spent much .,
the time criticising her work aho
descanting on what art should De-
Mrs, sheridan said. until she had to
threaten to abandon the work.
"Tbs work was difficult" she said.
.because Trotzky consists Of three
people. First. there is the statesman,
the dignined leader. Then he Is the
litterateur, the theorist In art and
letters. Then he has got mischiev-
Gus mood and will not be serious. he
laughs about everything"
When she was in MOSCOW. mrs.
Sheridan said. the Bolshevist leaders
were in an amiable frame of mind
toward America, were under the. i'm
preston that they had friend In
Senator Harding and expected speedy
recognition from this country.
81 imagine that the deportation OF
Martens has changed that" she said.
Mrs. Sheridan. who is American by
birth, was last here in 1910. She will
lecture at Aeolian Hall next Friday