Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-23
AMTORG PRESIDENT
ASKS CLEAN SLATE
Holds 100000, 600 in Trade
Will Be Menaced Unless
Charges Are Disproved.

ny inc ASSOClatco ETcSSs
NEW YORK. July 23.-Peter A. Bog
danov, president of the Amtorg Trading
Corporation, said in statement today
that Russian trade, amount
ing to more than 500, 100000 a year,
would be seriously menaced unless ac-
cusations against the company were
proved groundless.
Representative Hamilton Fish, IT,,
chairman of the congressional commit
tee investigating Communist activity in
the United States, before which the
statement was read, promised that all
charges against Amtorg would be delved
into with thoroughness.
Bogdanov said certain American
firms already had declined to finance
purchases because of these rumors. He
Grigory Bessedovsky, former Soviet
charge de affatres at Paris: Grover A
Whalen, when he was police commits
sioner of New York, and Matthew VOL
vice president of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, who testified before the
committee.
In all Of the statements referred to
charges were made that Amtorg was
not solely trade organization, but also
served as a focal point in this country
for Communistic activities which had
their inception IN Moscow. Bogdanoy
asserted all these statements were abb
solutely without any basis IN fact.
Would Expel OfIicials.
Representative Fish would invoke the
Federal immigration laws to expel from
the country all Russian officials of the
Amtorg Co.
The chairman Of the Congressional
Committee investigating Communist ac-
tivities questioned the right Of the Rus
sian directors OF the company, Soviet
commercial agency In the United States,
to reside in this country in the face of
the immigration law, which, he said,
forbids citizens Of foreign nations like
Soviet Russia having no C commercial
treaties with this country, to reside here
for trade purposes.
Holds Interpretation Erroneous.
Bogdanov. head of Amtorg, and
John Ohsol, its vice president and
the only American citizen on its board
OF directors, who appeared yesterday
before the committee, asserted Fish's
Interpretation Of the law was errone-
GUS.
Several times during the session the
two witnesses were reproved by members
of the committee for evasiveness In
answering questions. At one point, Rep
resentative John E. Nelson Of Maine
threatened to have Bogdanov cited for
contempt for declining to reply to ques-
tions concerning Communist aims and
theories. After consultation with his
attorneys Bogdanov agreed to comply
with the committees wishes.
He and OhSul denied that any of
Amtorg's officials or employees engaged
In political propaganda in this country.
Bogdanov estimated the commercial
credits received by the Amtorg in the
United States since its foundation at
$s0,0oo,00
Urges Deportation Of Agitators.
In a radio address over Station
WABC last night Fish urged deporta-
ton of alien agitators and Communists
affiliated with the Third International.
There Is no room in the United
States" he said, for any Communist
or Tor any person afflliated with the
Third International.
If they do not like our form of
Government, let them depart or re-
turn to Russia, where they can enjoy
the fruits Of Communism and the low
wage scale and deplorable living condi-
tons. and learn to appreciate the diff
ference between the blessings of a gov
eminent based on justice and humanity
and such a one as Soviet Russia, based
on terror and the most brutal despot-
ism ever instituted among men"