Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-13

Washington. Apr. 12-Charges of
human "butchery" made by Senator
Borah, Republican. Idaho. against
General Gregorie Semenoff, Russia n
anti-Bolshevik leader, were testified
to today before the Senate labor
committee by two leaders of the
American Expeditionary forces in
Siberia, Big. General w. S. Graves,
commander and Lieut.. Col. Charles
II. Morrow, his chief aide, who gave
rape and banditry which occurred
during the period of American occu-
patton Of the region.
Called before the committee in an
investigation which Chairman Borah
| hopes may lead to deportation of
General Semenoff, now under arrest
in civil case in New York, the two
army officers gave accounts of crime,
described as unbelievable unless
Witnessed" excerpts from official
army records and other evidence
covering the period between Septem-
Der 1918 and April 1920, of a nature
seldom, if ever laid before a con-
gressional committee.
At the conclusion Mr.. Borah
turned to Col. Morrow. the witness
and said:
You were there. Now tell us who,
in YOUR opinion. was responsible? ?"
"Semenoff," Col Morrow shot
back. Anybody who was in that
part of the world at that time knows
! that he was responsible"
| The committee plans to continue
the hearing tomorrow when other
army officers will be heard.
/ General Semenoff was represented
! by his attorney, John Kirkland
Clark of New York. who announced
/ he would attempt to have the Rus
sian officer come here to testify. He
said also he would ask Col. kroup-
sky, the generals aide and interpre
ter, to appear in defense of his chief.
Mr.. Clark was not sure, however,
! that General Semenoff would be al
| lowed to leave the state. because of
! his being under arrest. and Mr. Bo-
rah said it was not the committee
| intention to subpoena General Sem
enoff Eat this time"
| General Graves branded the Rus
! sian general as "a brutal murderer"
and declared he had not regretted
one of the crimes with which he was
| charged Mr.. Clark inquired if it
were not probable that General Sem
enoff knew nothing of them or it
might not be that General kolchak,
the supreme" anti Bolsheviki COM
mander, had ordered the acts COM
mitted. General Graves however.
declared it was not possible for the
situation to have escaped General
Semenoff's notice.
Col. Morrow said before he lett ST.
! IBERIA in January, 1920, his command
/ had disarmed 1900 of Semenoff's SOL
| diers, adding that had he remained
| longer all of them would have been
disarmed.
"Outside influence, however" he said,
he said was exerted, preventing the
Americans and the Czechs, who were
cooperating with them, from carrying
out the purpose.
"What outside influence do you
mean" Mr.. Clark asked.
Il do not care to go into that" re-
piled Col. Morrow. but I assure you
! there was the outside influence
| Discussing the "butchery" charges.
! General Graves recited how at half a
dozen points in the interior of Siberia
! Russians were hauled by train loads
to the slaughter ground and shot
without trial.
| THE only one reason given for the
executions" he added, was that they
were Bolshevistic sympathizers He
! told of how at one grand festival"
more than 1900 persons were murdered
|