The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-09-02
FOREIGN PURGE is
PUSHED BY S0VIETS
Continued from page y

tons to leave.
The foreign purge mas re-
suited in the arrest of hundreds,
principally German specialists.
The German embassy has Just
made protest to the Soviet for
eign office, and believes that
more than 200 German citizens
are under arrest. Many have been
expelled. while Il number, arrest
ed last autumn, have been in pris-
on nine months without trial on
charges of espionage. German Of
ficials have not been permitted
to communicate with them.
The latest wave Of arrests in
cluded II i'm Moscow, nine in Lee
ninglad, 25 in Kahrkoy, and a
few in other cities. The recent an
rests are said to include 40
HungarianS.
Almost daily the official press
thunders about the danger of for
ripn spies. These blasts have
frightened the average Soviet cit.
jZcn SO that foreign residents are
avoided and at present are lSolaL-
ed from Soviet contacts to an I'M
precedentcd extent heard Of an
instance in which a Russian doc
tor refused to continue to treat
his foreign patients.
One of my friends was trying
to negotiate with 4 leading &o1!,-
dramatiSt for the American rights
to his latest play. The dramatiSt
REQUIRED first letter setting
forth in detail the reasons for the
projected meeting. His own reply
was unsigned. He offered to send
his chauffeur and automobile 20
bring the American 10 his Com-
try house to continue the ncgo-
tiations verbally, but refused to
send the car to the American en-
bassy building, which had been
Suggested as meeting place. In
stead he specified that the chauf-
fcur meet the American in the
lobby of the National hotel.
Russian teachers who have
been instlucting Americans in
the Russian language refuse now
adays to go to American houses.
Such instances are indicative Of
the state Of mind cngendcred by
the anti-forcign campaign.
The foregoing does not mean
that legitimate tourists, thou
sands of whom, principally Amer
leans. visited the Soviet Union
this summer and who 90 under
the auspices Of the lntomist
State Tourist company, have
slight difficulty once they have
entered he country. But extra
ordinary precautions were taken
to discourage scores of Amcl-
cans from entering. Even after
they were granted viSas. The rea-
sons were obscure.
Several dozen tourists aboard
cruise ships from America were
refused entry at Leningrad. Iney
included woman named Dorothy
Thompson. apparently barred be-
cause it was mistakenly thought
that she was Dorothy Thompson,
columnist wife of Sinclair Lewis.
was William White, bar
red apparently because of the re-
semblance Of his name to that Of
the Kansas editor who published
a book to which the government
objected. One of a pair OF twins
was barred but the other admit
ted.
Once inside the country tour
lists travel all over the union
without cncountering trouble
some consequences of the anti
spy drive. A tourist is just as
safe from harm in SOvietland as
he is in any other major contl-
mental country.
During three weeks of visiting
half a dozen principal cities on
my 3.OOC-mile tour of the inter
Tor, | encountered only two in
stances of trouble. An American
friend in a Moscow hotel report
ed several objects were stolen
from his room, including an
alarm clock and a shirt. Thre@
detectives came and took elabor-
ate fingerprintS, neglecting, how
ever, to take those of the Amer
lean and his wife. They sleuthed
happily in my friends room un-