RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA.

MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 1920.

UNITED STATES SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS,

Washington, D. C. The subcommittee on Foreign Relations met in Room 422, Senate Office Building, at 11 o'clock a. m., Senator George H. Moses presiding. Present: Senators Moses (chairman), Knox, and Pomerene.

Also present: Hon. Thomas W. Hardwick, of counsel for Ludwig C. A. K. Martens and Santeri Nuorteva, secretary to Ludwig C. A. K. Martens.

The subcommittee met pursuant to Senate resolution 263, which is as follows:

Whereas one Ludwig C. A. K. Martens claims to be an ambassador to the United States from the Russian soviet government; and

Whereas according to newspaper reports he refuses to answer certain questions before the Lusk investigating committee in the city of New York, a committee appointed to investigate propaganda against this Government, on the ground that he is such ambassador and entitled to diplomatic privileges; and

Whereas said Martens has headquarters in the city of New York and is alleged to be directing propaganda against this Government; and

Whereas, according to his testimony before said Lusk committee, he came to this country as a German citizen and is a member of the Communist Party, pledged to overthrow capitalistic systems of government the world over; and

Whereas said Martens, according to his said testimony, regards this Government as a capitalistic government: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Committee on Foreign Relations is hereby authorized and directed, through the full committee or through any subcommittee thereof, to investigate as speedily as possible the status of said Martens; what alleged government or power in Europe he represents; what, if any, recognition of any kind has been accorded him by this Government; whether or not he is an alien enemy; what propaganda, if any, he is carrying on for the overthrow of governments; and all facts and circumstances relating to his activities in this country and his alleged diplomatic representation, and all facts relative to the activities of any other party, parties, or organization bearing upon or relating to Russian propaganda in this country, and make report to the Senate of such findings.

The said committee is hereby empowered to sit and act at such time and place as it may deem necessary; to require, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance of witnesses, the production of books, papers, and documents; to employ stenographers at a cost not exceeding $1 per printed page. The chairman of the committee, or any member thereof, may administer oaths to witnesses. Subpoenas for witnesses shall be issued under the signature of the chairman of the committee or subcommittee thereof. Every person who, having been summoned as a witness by authority of said committee or any subcommittee thereof, willfully makes default, or who, having appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the investigation heretofore authorized, shall be held to the penalties provided by section 102 of the Revised Statutes of the United States.

The expenses thereof shall be paid from the contingent fund of the Senate on vouchers ordered by said committee, signed by the chairman thereof, and approved by the Committee on Contingent Expenses.

Senator MOSES. Gentlemen, these proceedings are held under a resolution of the Senate authorizing an investigation into certain alleged activities with reference to the spread of Russian propaganda of various sorts in this country; and under that authority committee subpoenas have been issued and service accepted for Mr. Martens and his secretary, Mr. Nuorteva. The Chair understands from a representative of Mr. Martens that the absence of certain of his counsel, with whom he has not been able to get in touch, renders it desirable that the examination should not go forward this morning. In consequence, the committee will stand adjourned, subject to the call of the Chair.

I will ask counsel in the case to keep in touch with the chairman so that they may know at what time the committee will again meet. Mr. HARDWICK. I shall be very glad to do that.

Senator POMERENE. I would like to ask how long will it take to have these necessary conferences?

Mr. HARDWICK. I think it will only require a day or so, and, as far as I am concerned, I think we will be ready by Wednesday. Other counsel, from New England, are expected here right away.

Senator MOSES. So far as any hearing this morning is concerned this committee now stands adjourned, subject to call of the Chair. Mr. HARDWICK. We will try to be ready whenever the Chair calls a meeting for a hearing.

Senator MOSES. The committee will now proceed to executive a session.

(After a short executive session the committee adjourned, subject to call of the chairman.)

RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA.

MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1920.

UNITED STATES SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS,

Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met in room 422, Senate Office Building, at 11 o'clock a. m., Senator George H. Moses presiding.

Present: Senators Moses, Brandegee (appointed in place of Senator Knox, who was excused from the committee since the last hearing owing to illness in his family), and Borah, members of the committee. Also present: Hon. Thomas W. Hardwick, of counsel for Ludwig C. A. K. Martens, Ludwig C. A. K. Martens in person, and Santeri Nuorteva.

Senator MOSES. This committee is sitting under authority of a Senate resolution, adopted on the calendar day of December 20, 1919. In order that the authority of the committee may be made. clear at the outset of the hearings I will read the resolution, which was introduced by Senator Kenyon on December 16 and agreed to, as stated, on the calendar day of December 20, 1919.

(Thereupon Senator Moses read the resolution, which will be found printed in full on page 3 of this hearing.)

To these powers there was added additional authority to the committee to employ counsel. No such counsel has yet been obtained, but inasmuch as the resolution seems to indicate certain lines of inquiry which may be made without the assistance of counsel, or the employment of documents in the case, I will ask Mr. Martens to take the stand.

STATEMENT BY HON. THOMAS W. HARDWICK, OF COUNSEL FOR LUDWIG C. A. K. MARTENS.

Mr. HARDWICK. Mr. Chairman and Senators, if I may be permitted to do so at this juncture I desire to enter my appearance as counsel for Mr. Martens and his associates. Mr. Martens is present and prepared to take the stand. He is glad of the opportunity to give to this committee and to the Senate and to the country a full and detailed account of his conduct and activities in this country, and of his relations both to the Russian Government and to this country. I will not undertake to anticipate the terms of that statement. However, I would prefer, if it meets with the pleasure of the committee, that Mr. Martens be allowed, first, to make his statement. without interruption unless some member of the committee desires to interrupt him for fuller explanation on some point, and then, at the conclusion of his statement or at the conclusion of any subhead under which this statement will be divided, Mr. Martens will not

only submit to but welcome the fullest interrogation from the committee.

Accompanying Mr. Martens's statement, Mr. Chairman and Senators, will be a great many documents and a great deal of documentary evidence. Many of these documents will be in the Russian language. The originals will be submitted to the committee and at all times subject to the control and custody of the committee, although we have prepared translations of these documents for the convenience of the hearing. If the committee desires these translations verified, or to have its own translations made of any document, we will readily and gladly submit to that.

Permit me to say one other word and then I will not delay longer the giving of evidence: Mr. Martens is wholly innocent, as his statement and his proof along with other proof which he will submit, will show, of having propagated or instigated, or even participated in any way in, any political domestic activity in this country, or in any attempt to overthrow its Government. He has acted, I think we will be able to show, with scrupulous propriety so as to observe the rules not only of international law, but of American law, and the rules of propriety governing these transactions. He has nothing whatever to conceal, and will gladly answer any questions the committee deem proper at any time during the investigation to propound to him.

Senator MOSES. I have had in mind, Senator Hardwick, to follow the line of authority which the resolution grants to the committee; first of all, to require Mr. Martens to determine his status. In other words, to elicit from him certain biographical data bringing him up to the point of his activities.

Mr. HARDWICK. Very well. But I would like to state that this statement has been carefully prepared by me, or at least that I have seen to its preparation with a view to meeting the scope of the committee's work. If at the conclusion of Mr. Martens's presentation of the statement or during its progress the committee wishes to inquire about anything, or at any time wishes to elicit further information on any point, Mr. Martens is prepared to answer and will gladly answer any question propounded to him. However, gentlemen of the committee, if I may be allowed to suggest, I believe we will get along faster by following the line I have suggested, because in outlining the plan of this statement I have carefully endeavored to cover the scope of your investigation. But we are entirely willing to submit to the wishes of the committee with reference to procedure, and if the committee thinks there is any better way than the one we have outlined, we will be glad to conform to its will. My own opinion is that possibly the best way to do-and this statement is subdivided into subjects covering the different parts of your resolution I say, my opinion is that possibly the best way to do would be, as he finishes one subhead for him to lay aside the statement and the documents accompanying it, and answer any questions the committee may wish to ask.

Senator MOSES. In this connection let me say, if the statement is a very long one we might not be able to proceed very far with it this morning. My colleague is absent in New England owing to the critical illness of his sister, and there are some matters he wished me to attend to for him during the morning hour of the Senate.

For