"Atrocities"

Exactly how grave are the "atrocities" reported perpetrated upon foreigners in Soviet Russia?

Examples of the week:

4,400% Duty. The Associated Press reported that a U. S. correspondent at Moscow was recently charged $66 duty on six 25c tubes of U. S. tooth paste sent him by a Manhattan friend. Urbane, he presented the tooth paste to the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics in lieu of paying the duty.

Frontier Seizure. Mrs. Hallie F. Flanagan, Associate Professor at Vassar, Director of the Vassar Experimental Theatre, arrived at Reval, Esthonia, last week, from a six weeks' visit in Russia. She reported that every courtesy was shown her at Leningrad where a special performance of the Ballet Russe was given in her honor.

When she attempted to leave Russia, however, the frontier officials insisted that she was a Russian, despite her U. S. passport and the fact that she could not speak Russian. Acting with this assertion as their excuse they took from her: 1) letters of credit aggregating $3,000; 2) all her "undecipherable" papers and notes in English. Mrs. Flanagan was then allowed to proceed, reached Reval, applied to the local Soviet consul, and secured through him the return of her papers. He explained that the local frontier officials had exceeded their authority, patriotically supposing that "nobody ought to be allowed to have as much money as did Mme. Flanagan."

Electrician Imprisoned. One Julius M. Chevalier, U. S. electrical worker, arrived from Russia at Riga, Latvia, last week, in good spirits and good health. Since May 19, 1924, he has been, upon his own statement, successively imprisoned and detained without trial upon the mere suspicion that he had furthered anti-Bolshevist plots in the Caucasus. He declared that during the winter of 1925 he was imprisoned on Solovetsky Island, where 3,000 of his 7,000 fellow prisoners died "from insufficient food and intolerable treatment."

He himself was well treated because he placed his electrical knowledge at the disposal of the local Soviet which was with difficulty installing a power station.

When released last week, Mr. Chevalier was scantily clad.

Straightway the Chicago Daily News correspondent at Riga provided him with clothing, food. Soon he will journey to meet his children who have been awaiting his release at Constantinople.