Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-18
j. s, AOM| TED
9EMEN0FF FOR
TRANSIT ONLY
Cossack Came to Amer
ica En- Route to Plot
Against Red at Paris.
Hearing Shows Yanks
Did Not Know Reason
for Being in Siberia.

Washington. April 17-Appearing
before the senate labor committee to-
day in connection with it's inquiry into
the Siberian activities Of General Greg
orie Semenoff, now under civil arrest
in New York, Commissioner General
Husband of the bureau of immigration.
told how the anti bolshevik, leader had
been permitted to enter the United
State at Seattle after landing at Van
couver from a steamer which he had
boarded at Chinese port, and sub
mitted through official documents and
messages the suggestion that Semen
off intended to go to Paris to meet the
Grand Duke Nicholas TO lay plans for
u revolution against the Russian
soviets.
The suggestion Of ,emenoff's plan
for going TO Paris was contained in
message from Inspector Zurbrick at
Vancouver. who added that the gener-
ais testimony before board of in
quiry ut Vancouver indicated that he
intended during his visit to Washing
ton to establish connections for future
use. especially as applying to the de-
velopment of trade relations. Semen
off was finally admitted to the United
States for transit purposes" on his
trip to Paris and Mr.. Husband. through
his testimony before the committee. in
dicated that the immigration authorities
had no alternative in the case except
arbitrary disbarment" and were pow
erless under the law.
Eye for Eye" Policy
In addition to Mr. Husband. Ralph
l.. 3aggs, of New York, former
American army lieutenant with the
forces in Siberia. was before the COM
mittee. His testimony, which was said
not to refute that recently given before
the committee by Major General
Graves, the Siberian expedition com
mander, was intended to do Justice"
to the Russian officer insofar as the
witness saw events there. He de
clared that at times the policy appear
ed to be ''an eye for an eye" but de-
MED that the general massacres had
taken place in the area where he was
stationed. Mr.. Baggs credited Semen
said that conditions under the general
were better than where the bolsheviki
held sway.
In some instances. he added. the ac-
tivities of the bolsheyiki were such that
retaliation was almost justified" BY
way of reply to testimony previously
given the committee. he declared that
early in 1919. there was a change of
sentiment among the Semenoff forces
toward the Americans who. he said
were looked upon as giving moral en-
to the Reds by not en-
gaging against them actively"
Yanks' Mission Not Stated
Asked by Chairman Borah for fur
ther statement as to the change he |
noted in the Russian sentiment. Mr.. |
Baggs said he believed that it was be- !
cause 'our purpose there never was |
stated"
Il could not tell the men" he con- I
tinued. 'for I was not advised. There |
never was statement from my super |
iors as to what our mission was and I /
do not believe they ever had an ex- |
preston from their chiefs either. All |
| ever could tell was that the Ameri- /
cans were there to give economic aid. I
but when we made no declaration of |
purpose the antibolshevik groups be-
came suspicious"
And when you got back Mr.. Rorah
did you learn why you
had been there? We here did not
know
The answer of the witness, No"
vas drowned with laughter.