The Washington times., 1922-04-13
WHAT PULL GOT
GEN. SEMENOFF
us. PASSPORT?
Powerful influence Appears to
Have Been Behind "cos-
sack Butcher"
By POLTTICUs.

Through the bloody story OF
Semenoffs brutalities In siberia,
told TO a Senate committee, there
glows the burning question::
"Who let this Cossack butcher
In? What strange influence was
powerful enough TO brush aside the
law 10 overwhelm the opposition
OF the War Department ana tne
American Legion, and to induce tne
State Department TO open America
doors TO the murderer of American
soldiers?"
the senate Committee on Educa-
ton and Labor is trying TO oe-
ternine whether Semenoff snoulu
he deported from the United states.
The testimony of Brig. Gen. w. =
Graves and Lieut.. Col. Charles n
Morrow, of the American Expedl-
tIonary Forces In Siberia, should be
enough to answer that question
Has Important Task.
But Senator Borah's committee
has a far more important TASK
ahead of 1t. Merely to deport the
Cossack Semenoff Will aVall Dut
little. The American people want
to know who is responsible TOT ms
being here. They want TO know
lust who brought the influence 70
bear upon the State Department
and then upon the Labor Depart
ment which made 1t possiple lot
Sernenoff to cross the border into
This country. They want to know
why he is here. They want 10
know with whom he has been con-
rerrinR during his two weeks OF
hospitality in the United States,
'Chey want TO know what sinister
,sirpose lies behind his visit.
THE tales of horror which General
raves and Colonel Morrow told
,hs, Senate Committee are not new
except to the American people.
The War Department had them In
II their CORY detail two years ago.
GEAR of hurting the feelings OF the
.;apanese government--which sup
,,3rted the Semenoff and Kolchak
hutcheries-prevente their puph.
cation at the time. These tales OF
murder, of rapine, OF destrucuoh
probably would not have been mace
public now, had Semenoff remained
in Asia
II is all a strange story. For
three months, the American con-
sular representative at Shanghai Is
reported to have refused to wise
Semenoff's passport so that ne
might visit the United States. Then
some one interfered some higher
mower overruled, and Secretary OF
State Hughes ordered Semenoffs
passport Vised so that he might
come to the United States. This
announcement came last winter
during the sessions of the arms
conference. For that conference
there were gathered here I'm Wash
ington Journalists from every ma
ton, and there were many who had
been in Siberia and who knew at
first hand OF the grewsome record
~ this prospective visitor. To their
surprised questionings, the Senate
Department made but flippant
answer.
Legion Makes Protest.
Then the American Legion, whose
comrades had been butchered hy
mis- Cossack's troops, carri N their
protest to the State, War and La
1or Departments. Tie latter, in
control of the ImmiQratioL Bureau.
promised action. But something
slipped. No one seems to know
lust who or what interfered. or
inst what influence was brought
INTO play. But Semenoff, who had
landed at Vancouver, was granted a
transit" permit to cross" the
United States. He crossed" IL via
Washington and New York. He
spent three days in the Nations
Capital but no one seems to know
just what conferences he held here.
nor has there been any revelation
as yet as to the interests in New
York which have extended hospital
ity to him. At the time Of his
original plan to come to the United