New-York tribune., 1921-12-10
Senator France
Accused Over
Russian Plea
Appeal for Recognition of
Soviet Regime Prompted
by Self-Interest, Charge
Made by Capt. w. b. Estes
Business Deal Alleged
Senator Issues Denial and
Declares He Has No In
terest i'm Concern Named

Senator Joseph l. France, of Mary
land, was directly charged yesterday
with using his public position to bring
| about recognition of the Soviet govern
ment of Russia for the purpose of fur
thering an industrial concern in which
he is alleged to be Interested
Senator France, who was guest last
night at dinner of the Real Estate
League of New Jersey at the Robert
Treat Hotel, in Newark, declared that
the charge was absolutely false" as
were most statements made nowadays
concerning Russia.
The accusation was made by Captain
/ William B. Estes, formerly of the
United States Military Intelligence Serv-
ice, who recently was released from q
Russian jail. Senator France was in
Russia at the time Estes and other
Americans were being held in I Moscow
prison by the Soviet authorities. The
charges were made in an address be-
fore the National Civic Federation at
Charges by Captain Estes
In broaching the subject Captain
Estes said:
Il make these charges with the full
knowledge of the responsibility that
incur. ! make them after full invest-
cation. Senator France quoted the
Soviet authorities when he accused
Captain Ryan, of the Red Gross. in
Reval, Esthonia, with having fomented
the Kronstadt rebellion, and now
quote the same authority against Sem
ator France
He then declared that Senator
france was interested in the Barbaroff
Engineering Company, which he said
had contracts with the Soviet govern
ment of Russia amounting to more than
S6,000,000. He charged that Senator
France was interested in campaigning
for recognition of the Soviet govern
ment or the establishment Of trade re-
latlons between Russia and this coun-
try for the purpose of enhancing the
value of these alleged contracts.
Captain Estes then went into
lengthy description of the activities of
an American named Barbarotf, head
Of the Barbarof Engineering Company
Agent introduced at Capitol
He said that on one occasion, while
Barbaroff was in Washington, Senator
France introduced him before a Con-
gressional committee as an authority
on Russian affairs, SO that Barbarotf
might have an opportunity to testify
{ in behalf of recognition OF the Soviet
government.
Senator Frances statement follows:
"Of course there is not word of truth
in Captain Estes's speech. 1t was
about as true as many of the state
ments that are being made nowadays
about Russia. That is, it is absolutely
false. / haven't a dollars worth of
interest in Mr.. Barbaroff's company, or
in any other company, or in any con-
tract Mr.. Barbarotf has with the Rus
sian government and l only know Mr.
Barbaroff because he asked me to Sc
cure passport, and | did this in the
regular routine. Mr. Barbaroff is not
an agent of the Russian government,
but is young business man of Rus
sian birth who organized business
IN Milwaukee to sell goods to the Rus
sian government. He represents many
to get him passports and ! asked for
his recommendations he showed me
very fine letters from the Governor of
his state, the superintendent Of indus
tries and other prominent men.
THE members of this company are
men of standing in his home town. He
told me he had a SS,000,OOO contract
with the Co-operatives of Russia. That's
all know about that contract. | dent
know why Captain Estes was impris-
oned in Russia. Whatever it was for
he must have absorbed large fund
/ of false information. His statements
is q sample Of the way in which the
whole Russian situation has been ham
died by some people who have been
! imprisoned for illegal and criminal acts
in violation of the laws of Russia and
the neutrality of the United States.
There is absolutely no truth in Estes's
charges"
The meeting of the National Civic
Federation was called yesterday for
The purpose of discussing means to put
an end to the increasing wave of Soviet
and Communist propaganda that is
sweeping over the country in connec-
ton with the appeal for funds to re
lieve famine conditions in Russia. In
the course Of She meeting it was de-
clared that members of the Communist
party were masquerading under vari-
Gus association names and collecting
money for Russian relief and then
using the funds so collected for the
purpose of spreading Soviet propa-
ganda.
At the conclusion of the meeting
resolution was introduced by Major
Lorillard Spencer, on behalf of the
American Legion, which was passed
unanimously. 1t authorized the presi-
dent Of the Federation to appoint a
committee to call upon the Attorney
General and urge upon him the neces-
sity of investigating all organizations
raising funds for Russian relief which
do not have the sanction of the Amer
rican Relief Administration, for the
purpose Of ascertaining whether or not
the funds collected We're being used
for propaganda purposes.
among the speakers were Royal r.
Keely, an American engineer, who was
held in a Moscow jail over year;
Archibald Z Stevenson, former counsel
of the Lusk committee, and Jerome B.
Landheld, associate editor of "The New
York independent" Stevenson enumer-
ated the various organizations engaged
in collecting funds for Russian relief
which he alleged were using the money