Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-09-04
DECLARES MACHINERY
RU|N|NG IN RUSSIA
American Released From
Moscow Prison Tells of De-
plorablc Conditions.
cHEKA POWER is STILL STRONG
Royal Kccly Asserts Famine Trouble
tx Extremely Ind. bnt Hosro,y IL
FuiI Of Food for Those Who Are
Able To uuy II.
IRv Associntcn rrnavl

N'f' sept o. ihuuStfial plants
and machinery in Russia are steadily
dtsintegratinS. declared Royal {,
kccly. the American engineer who
was prisoner in Moscow for many
months and who arrived here today.
on his way to America
buildings are painless and rot
ting, and Industrial machinery lie;
rustinS." he declared while narratinE
10 the correspondent his vicissitudes
since leaving New York in May. 1919
He said he saw no apprcciablc gen
cral Improvement in the Industrial
situation in Moscow over the period
between September 1919, and May.
1920. before his arrest by the Soviet
government officials. Before his ar
rest. he said. he had Travelled through
out Russia IN a special car and had
inspected many Industrial plants. ana
that nc had Informed Nikolai Lcnine.
the Soviet Premier. in personal let
tcrS that the situation was terrible
Tells OF Departure.
MIR. Keely related how. when he
left New York May "a. 1919. with
Professor G.. V. Lomonoson. former
head Of the Russian railway mission
TO the United states. the latter turned
to him as they were passing the
statue OF Liberty and remarked:
Here's where YOU say rood-by to
Your liberty"
''Iic was Joking" snid Mr. Kelly.
nut DEVELOPMENTS proved the truth
OF his statement"
Upon arriving III Russia in Sep
TENDER. 1919. Mr.. kcely said he was
invited to inspect every sort of in =
dustry. ana he found conditions so
hopeless. from his viewpoint that NJ
4 iSein ~.
frequently postponed, he said. and
finally he left Moscow. May .. 1920.
only 10 he arrested as no arrived,
May IL. near the Esthonan border
station OF Camburr, and was sent
back to Moscow and imprisoned
His first trial was April -. 1921.
when he was sentenced To two years
at "A concentration camp charged
with communicating Information TO
the press Of bourgeois nations"
TrinI WINS Good Joke.
lie said his trial was Il joke, as the
only defense he had was by Soviet
attorney appointed for him by the
Holshevist court.
Mr.. Keely was freed August /. last.
and has had n month Of freedom in
Moscow to talk to many persons Of
his acquaintance.
Mr.. kecly. who left Moscow on
Thursday. said that only four other
Nmcricans-Iiarold Carlson. Mrs.
Carlson and their two childrcn--had
obtained the necessary vlscs TO leave
Russia. while many others were held
IN because q: technical difficulties.
such as lost or stolen passports and
lack OF money. He said the power
OF the Chcka. or Bolshcvist inuui-
stion. was still very strong IN Rus
Sin. and That it's authority was in
crcasinc since the recent arrests of
the Gorky famine committee and the
alleged plottcrs, recently reported.
Famine Extremely Bnd.
lie said the famine was extremely
bad hut that Moscow was full o..
food for those able to buy. and that
Il was easy to live on n few dollars
day with American money. Since
the Russians. however. are earning
the equivalent Of only - cents a
day, or few dollars monthly, they
are able to buy little or nothing. he
said. Mr.. Eecly said that Ludwi:;
C. A. x. Martens. former Soviet AM
bassador" to the United States. now
was the head Of the metal industrial
department. of Russia.
Among the Americans whose de-
parturc from Russia is delayed. he
faii are Maron liipman and DR..
William I.anbic and Mrs. Lnnbic
both Of whom are dentists. He sail
they were held at Moscow because
their passports were stolen when the
Chckn arrested them. and that now
they cannot lcar" until they find the
documents. BESIDES. he said, each OF
them must pay S23 in gold for fare
to the frontier, n sum next to i'm
possible for the refugees. The Brit
ish mission at Moscow, however. is
taking UP the subject OF aid.