Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-02-14
FALSE PRETENSES.

From all the information that is available at
this time a great nationwide organization which is
being created on the pretext that it is intended for
philanthropic purposes is being devoted to the pro-
motion of radical political doctrines, and the names
OF eminent men are being used to give prestige to
this organization when those names have been Sc
cured either under false pretenses or under a mis-
apprehension of the facts.
The organization referred to is known as the
committee for Russian Famine Relief. which has
been carrying on an extensive correspondence and
enlisting the support of prominent men throughout
the country with the understanding that the Or
gan1zahon was conducting z Legitimate relief work
IN Russia, when as a matter of fact, the organizers
are. radicals who have heretofore been associated
with various movements in support Of socialism,
communism and other doctrines of like character.
The letter heads of this organization bear the
names OF members OF an advisory committee. On
this list are found the names of scores of men emf
nent IN religious and philanthropic work, in the field
Of craftsmanship and education, in journalism and
in almost every line of public endeavor. The list is
such as to disarm suspicion and create confidence.
It appears that very many of these names have been
obtained on the reputation of a few original mem
bers of the advisory committe. By what means the
original members were induced to lend their names
has not yet been made clear, but it is known that
many of those who consented to act as members of
the advisory committee did so under the impression
that tins Organ1zats0n was cooperating with tho
american Relief committee, at the head Of which is
the present secretary of commerce., Herbert Hoover.
The impression gained was that this latter organiza-
ton was intended to operate as a branch Of that
headed by Mr.. Hoover to aid in the collection of
supplies through the activities Of local committees
which were to cover practically the entire country.
1t is now discovered that the organization has no
connection whatever with the government commit
tee; that it proposes to carry on the work of distri-
button through the Russian Red Cross, a strongly
soviet organization that it is allied with other or
CARNATIONS which have expressed hostility to the
American government committee; and that associ-
ated in the management and direction Of the work
are numerous men of known radical tendencies, and
whose sympathies are strongly with the Russian
Fsovietism.
Among the men prominent in the affair arc
Ludwig A. K Martens, who posed as arnbasssr
dor of the Boashevik government and who was de-
ported from the United States A. w. Kicker, a well
nDwn socialist and former publisher OF Parsons
magazine, and Waiter Ligget vino was at one time
prominent IN the organizainn work Of the Nonpar-
tisan league n North Dakota under the direction Of
Mr.. Towply.
The whole case sesus TO Be one Of false pre-
lenses Men who have no sympathy with radical
ism hEyc oonseated to save % emberB Of a ad-
visoFy coulnitte Of what they suppose to be . purely
piilznta1ropic organization, when ii fact the
organization is one apparently political rather than
pphilazthrppic and IS engaged u conducting ! work
with which these men have no sympathy whatever.