Evening star., 1952-11-12
Bypassed by Wi||kie,
Ex-Envoy 10 Russia
Tells Katyn Probers
By Robert K. Welsh

Admiral Wilma H. Standley
retired. testified today that while
Ambassador to Russia in 1912 he
was "bypassed" by the late Wen
dell Willkie.
He told a House committee also
that he was kept in the dark by
the State Department in some in
stances concerning the difficulties
between Russia and Poland.
Admiral Standley appeared be-
fore q special committee investi-
eating the massacre of $4,000
Polish army officers and intel
lectuals in the Katyn Forest. near
SmolenSk, Russia, early in World
War II.
The committe particularly wants
to determine whether the State
Department or other Government
agencies suppressed evidence of
Russian guilt for the murders. For
mer Undersecretary of State Sum-
ner Welles and w. Averell Harri-
man, a former Ambassador to
Russia. were scheduled to testify
later today.
Vehement Criticism.
Mention of the late Mr.. Willkie,
the 1910 Republican presidential
candidate, brought vehement criti-
cism from Admiral Standley. The
witness said he did not know
whether Mr.. Willkie, on a visit to
Russia in September, 1912, as a.
personal representative of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, specifically raised
a question concerning the where
abouts of the missing Polish Of
1icers.
Admiral Standley told the COM
mittee that Mr.. Willkie saw Stain
and discussed Soviet-Polish rela-
tionships with the Russian leader.
The Admiral added that he was of
the opinion that something might
have been said about the Polish
soldiers.
Mr.. Willkie was. so secretive
about his conference with Stain
and worked so independently of
the American Embassy that Ad-
miral Standley returned to Wash
ington in October, 1912, to protest
personally to the President.
He testified that President
Roosevelt received him cordially
and granted several requests to
increase his prestige when he re-
turned to Moscow.
Admiral STANDBY added that IN
his talk with the President there
was considerable discussion of the
Polish situation" including the
whereabouts of the Army officers
whose bodies had not then been
discovered in the forest.
Buildup Called Objective.
AS for Mr.. Willkie, Admiral
Standley said he came to the con-
clusion that Mr.. Willkie went to
Russia primarily to build himself
up politically.
Representative Dondero, Repub-
lican, of Michigan objected that
the references to Mr.. Willkie had
nothing to do with the committees
investigation Of the Katyn mas
sacre. Representative Madden,
Democrat, of Indiana, committee
chairman, ruled that the testi-
mony was pertinent because Ad-
miral Standley testified he had
discussed the. possible fate of the
Polish officers with Mr.. Willkie.
Admiral Standley. Ambassador
to Moscow from April, 1912, to late
1943, testified he never saw a
February. 1912. document sent to
the State Department by a Mai
Joseph CZapski. That memo. the
committee disclosed, included evi-
dence indicating the Polish officers
had been killed by the Soviets.
The former Ambassador also
testified that before going to Rus
sia he was briefed extensively in
the State Department on numer-
Gus Polish problems to be dis
cussed with the Russians. But
when he reached Moscow. he said.
he received instructions from the
State Department not to bring up
those problems.
Instructions Modified.
Admiral Standley said those in
structions later were modified and
that several times he talked with
Foreign Minister Molotov on Sovi-
et-PoliSh difficulties Those talks,
he explained. specifically but un-
successfully sought informal ton
about the Polish officers.
After the discovery of the Katyn
graves in 1943, Admiral Standley
testified, he several times called
the State Departments attention
to evidence that the men might
have been murdered by the So
viets. The Russians charged the
Nazis murdered the Poles. Russia
broke off relations with Poland
when that country demanded an
international Red Cross investi-
cation.
Among numerous State Depart