Senator BRANDEGEE. What was that? Mr. MARTENS. What did you ask? Senator BRANDEGEE. How many did you say were captured in Germany? Mr. MARTENS. About 90 per cent. Senator BRANDEGEE. How many were there altogether? Mr. MARTENS. They were sending regularly several times every month. Senator BRANDEGEE. What number of men would 90 per cent be? Mr. MARTENS. I have notice of about 10 men that were sent through Germany and only one reached destination. Senator BRANDEGEE. Well, if 10 is 90 per cent you did not receive a great many couriers? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir: I did. Senator BRANDEGEE. How many? Mr. MARTENS. All together about six or seven. Senator BRANDEGEE. Six or seven you received and 10 were interrupted? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator BRANDEGEE. Well, you mean that Mr. MARTENS (interposing). No; I mean that out of 10 sent via Germany 9 were interrupted. Senator BRANDEGEE. How many were sent altogether from your Government? Mr. MARTENS. Through Germany there were 10. Senator BRANDEGEE. I mean to you? Mr. MARTENS. Yes; through Germany to me. Senator BRANDEGEE. How many were sent through other countries? Mr. MARTENS. Well, seven reached destination, and three who went via Finland were captured and shot. Senator BRANDEGEE. Is that the total number of couriers the Soviet Government ever tried to send to you? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator BRANDEGEE. What would that total be in your opinion? Mr. MARTENS. About 20. Senator BRANDEGEE. About 20 in all? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator BRANDEGEE. Out of 20, 10 of them were captured? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator BRANDEGEE. So you have received 10 couriers? Mr. MARTENS. No; only about seven. Senator BRANDEGEE. And they were of different nationalities? Senator BRANDEGEE. All bearing money? Mr. MARTENS. The most of them bearing money. Senator MOSES. Did they all claim citizenship in the Soviet Republic? Mr. MARTENS. Not all of them. Senator BRANDEGEE. Did they bring instructions in any case other than what you received by code? In other words, did they bring verbal instructions in any case? Mr. MARTENS. They brought some verbal instructions, too: yes, sir. Senator BRANDEGEE. And those you are going to testify about? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator BRANDEGEE. All right. Senator MOSES. Did those couriers take communications from you to your Government? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. Now, Mr. Martens, in what manner did the courier who left Moscow and brought funds or instructions to you make his journey? Mr. MARTENS. Mostly he went by way of Finland or by way of Germany, and then by way of Scandinavia or Holland to America, or via England to America. Senator MOSES. What papers did he carry which enabled him to make the journey? Mr. MARTENS. I could not tell you. I was not interested in that part of it. He had some passports. Senator Moses. To your knowledge did any of your agents make regular entry into this country? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir; regular entry. Senator MOSES. And signed the regular customs declaration? Senator BRANDEGEE. How are you able to state that they were, in fact, authorized couriers from the Soviet Government? Mr. MARTENS. Oh, they had letters with them. Senator BRANDEGEE. They bore letters from the Soviet Government? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator BRANDEGEE. Did you know any of them personally? Mr. MARTENS. Well, I only knew them when they came with these letters. Senator MOSES. Will you please give the names of any couriers who made regular entry into this country and delivered communications to you? Mr. MARTENS. I could not give you those names, Mr. Chairman. Senator MOSES. But you decline to state them? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir; I decline to state. Senator MOSES. Will you give the names of any couriers who took communications from you to your Government and who regularly left this country? Mr. MARTENS. I decline to state their names. Mr. HARDWICK. If I may be allowed to interpose just a moment, Mr. Chairman and Senator Brandegee, I will say that that is one of the questions we thought to postpone. Senator MOSES. Oh! I thought your statement about the matter we had up the other day involved the names of persons who carried on this courier service in Europe. Mr. HARDWICK. Naturally, they came to New York, but, of course, they did not come through this country. Senator MOSES. My understanding in the discussion we had about it the other day was that it was with reference to a list of couriers who passed the matter from hand to hand in Europe, and that then somebody took the message finally somewhere in western Europe and brought it to this country. Mr. HARDWICK. Not in all cases. In some cases they came direct and some were handled in the other way. Some were relayed, I imagine. But in any event, of course, the chair will be the best judge as to whether that should be pressed now or not. I think possibly we might ask the committee to consider that question carefully before it is pressed. Senator MOSES. Is that one of the matters you wish to take up at a time when counsel to the committee will be present? Mr. HARDWICK. Yes, sir; that is one of the matters that we wish. considered as to whether or not it is pertinent to the scope of this investigation. Senator BRANDEGEE. Would you object to answering this question: Were any of these couriers American citizens? Mr. HARDWICK. I do not object to his answering it if he knows. Senator MOSES. Had you ever been in the United States prior to your arrival here in December, 1915-was that the time of your arrival? Mr. MARTENS. No; it was in January, 1916. Senator MOSES. Had you ever been in the United States prior to that time? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. When? Senator MOSES. And you came here from what point in Europe, then? Mr. MARTENS. From Antwerp. Senator MOSES. Were you then residing in Antwerp? Mr. MARTENS. No; I was residing in Germany, but I went to Switzerland, and from Switzerland to Antwerp, and then to America. Senator MOSES. That was following your military service in Germany. You had then completed your military service? Mr. MARTENS. Oh, yes. I completed that in 1901. Senator MOSES. What was the purpose of your visit to this country at that time? Mr. MARTENS. I had an invention and had some dealings with an American firm and wanted to settle those dealings. That invention. was in regard to an internal-combustion engine. Senator MOSES. How long were you then here? Mr. MARTENS. About a month. Senator MOSES. Then you returned to Germany? Senator MOSES. And your journey was from Switzerland to Antwerp and then to New York? Mr. MARTENS. To the United States; yes. Senator MOSES. Was that the time in Switzerland concerning which you testified the other day that you went there to meet friends? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir; it was. Senator MOSES. You render accounts to your Government for the expenditure of funds which you have received? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator Moses. That includes, of course, your own salary? 159906-20-PT 22 Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. Was there ever any distinction made in the salary which you received for commercial purposes and that which you received for diplomatic representation? Mr. MARTENS. No; not at all. Everyone receives a certain salary. Senator MOSES. You say everyone receives what? Mr. MARTENS. I say everyone of us receives a certain salary, without any distinction as to what service it is for. Senator MOSES. Was that salary fixed by your Government? Senator MOSES. Your own salary is fixed by yourself? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. Is that the practice in Soviet Russia, for a diplomatic or commercial representative to fix his own salary? Mr. MARTENS. I suppose, having in mind the difficulties of communication, they thought it would be easier for me to do that here. Senator BRANDEGEE. Does everybody fix his own wages over there in Soviet Russia? Mr. MARTENS. No. Senator MOSES. Your Government never complained at the salary which you estimated for yourself, did it? Mr. MARTENS. No. Senator MOSES. What sums of money have you received per month from your Government? Mr. MARTENS. Do you mean the whole amount of money I received? Senator MoSES. Yes. Senator BRANDEGEE. For salaries, you meant, didn't you, Senator Moses? Senator MOSES. No; the total amount. I do not care much what Mr. Martens's salary is; do you? Senator BRANDEGEE. No. Mr. MARTENS. The average would be about $15,000. Senator MOSES. A month? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. What is the largest sum you ever received at any time? Mr. MARTEN. At the beginning $30,000. Senator MOSES. And you have received an average of $15,000 a month since last March? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. In other words, about $150,000 all told? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. And that comes to you, I believe you have testified, in the form of currency? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. Do you carry a bank account? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir; I do. Senator MOSES. More than one? Mr. MARTENS. I carry two bank accounts. Senator MOSES. Do you deposit all your money in banks? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. With whom are your accounts carried? Mr. MARTENS. The Public National Bank of New York and the State Bank of New York. Senator MOSES. And do the deposits in these banks represent all the money you have received from Russia? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator BRANDEGEE. You testified the other day, did you not, that you had not received any money at all from this country? Mr. MARTENS. What was that? Senator BRANDEGEE. That you have not received any funds at all from people in this country, as I remember. Mr. MARTENS. No, sir; I have not. Senator MOSES. All moneys you received have come from the treasury of the Soviet Government? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. None of this has come from any organizations nor from any individuals? Mr. MARTENS. Not at all. Senator MOSES. None of it was furnished by organizations in Russia which wished to receive these goods which you were attempting to buy? Mr. MARTENS. No. Senator MOSES. Were you limited at all in the manner in which you should use the money which you have received from Russia? Mr. MARTENS. It was left to my judgment. Senator MOSES. You had no instructions as to how you should divide the funds? Mr. MARTENS. No; not at all, except the general instructions I received which were to the effect that I was not to spend any money for any political propaganda nor for any party or faction. Senator MOSES. Your general instructions, then, were to use these funds supplied to you chiefly for the purpose of establishing commercial relations? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. And you totally abandoned all efforts to secure personal recognition for yourself from the State Department very soon after you presented your letter of credence, as I understand? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. And you were not to use any portion of these funds for propaganda; those were your general instructions? Mr. MARTENS. Not for propaganda in the sense of influencing American institutions. But I had to use this money in the sense of presenting to the American people actual conditions in Russia. Senator Moses. And you interpreted your instructions to enable you to use some portion of your moneys for the publication of the weekly Soviet Russia. Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. What other publications did you make? Mr. MARTENS. We did not make any as a publication, with the exception of some small pamphlets issued by our commercial department and one or two pamphlets issued by our technical department. Senator MOSES. And have you copies of those? Mr. MARTENS. Yes, sir. Senator MOSES. Will you furnish those, not necessarily to go into the record, but for the information of the committee? |