The New York herald., 1921-11-14
Foreigners and Russians
May Meet for Business, if
Avoiding Politics.
PRISON BEING REPAIRED
Undoubtedly Some Discomfort
Exists, but No Organized OPP
position to Bolsheviki.

Special Cable to THE New York HERALD.
Copyright. 1921, by THE New YORK HERALD
PETRoGRAD, via LONDON, Nov. 13.-
I'VE have gentle hand for mis-
guided workers and weaklings, but
use the mailed fist against our politi-
cal enemies" Semianoff. president Of
the Petrograd Extraordinary Commits
sion, the Checka, told THE New York
HERALD correspondent here, who Wis
tied him in his Office in an improvised
prison row in the old Office buildings
near the Admiralty.
Numerous pass formalities were re-
quired and the gloomy doorway was
guarded by sentries with rifles. The
Office walls are decorated with tele-
grams showing the number of arrests
made. There is pen sketch of clasped
hands over a skull and crossbones
seminof sat behind a massive En-
pire desk covered with writing mate
rials. He was smiling genially. The
president Of the Petrograd Extraordi-
nary Commission is former metal
worker and Is in his early thirties. His
energy and business like manner con-
trasted with the PAPERS and confusion
TO be found in some other offices.
I'VE are not wild beasts, as the for
elgn press describes u.s." he asserted,
pointing to a pile Of press clippings.
only the conspiracies Of our political
enemies are ruthlessly suppressed.
Communist traitors are expeditions
ly handled, but misguided workers and
small-fry spectators are released after
preliminary examination. Less lenien-
cy Is shown the capitalistic classes,
members Of unproductive classes. shop
keepers, and employers Of labor"
Semianoff declared the Checka a legal
state organization, with regular forps
of justice. Prisoners are~now supposed
hours and trial within a month. The
death sentence Is only carried out af;er
ratification by Moscow.
Complaints Of foreign concession seek
ers that business is impossible In Rus
sia while the Checka has a free hand
are now unwarranted. Semianoff as
serted that he had instructions from
Moscow to leave such foreigners and
Russians who meet for business reasons
unmolested. provided they abstain from
political meddling. He ridiculed the
torture chamber stories and showed
several cells in the improvised prison
THE New YORK HERALD correspondent
found the delousing and bath arrange
ments and drains cleaner and better
organized than most prisons In Petru-
grad. but was less favorably impresse
by the packing of seventy-eight pes.y
prisoners into one small inside room
Forty were bedless. The warder ex-
planned that other rooms were being
repaired. but only one bricklayer was
at work. Some prisoners complained
that they were held longer than the
procedure allows. but Semianoff ex-
planned they were held because of the
necessity OF collecting further evidence
Semianoff said that about sixty-one
persons were shot two months ago
after the discovery of counter-revo-
lutionary plot. 1t is reported In Pet
rograd that the wife of a General talk
ing leading part in the plot had a
dispute with a grocery clerk and
threatened that her husband would
Fix her" when he became governor of
Petrograd. and that the conspiracy be-
came known to the Soviet authorities
because OF this wrangle between
women.
Semianoff charged that counter-revo.
luionaries DESTROYED the central tele.
phone station. the Alexander metal
works, the electric plant and water
works The Communists emphasize
the counter revolutionary dangers
There is undoubtedly some discomfort.
but apparently no organized opposition
from any group.