Tall Tales

The Chicago Tribune received information from Moscow to the effect that the Soviet Government is doing its utmost to mislead U. S. Senators William H. King of Utah and Edwin F. Ladd of North Dakota as to the conditions and the spirit of the population in Soviet Russia.

Fifteen thousand faithful Bolsheviki are employed to prevent the Senators from coming into contact with the ordinary citizens. Elaborate preparations are said to have been made to create an impression of prosperity and satisfaction. The Soviet leaders are reputed to believe that a favorable opinion by the Senators on their return to the United States will be a decisive factor in influencing the United States to grant credit. Continuing, the report stated that the Soviet tactics are nothing new in the history of Russia: "Catherine the Great preceded Senators Ladd and King along the road of Russian dupes when she expressed a desire to see her new conquest in southern Russia. Prince Potemkin, her Premier, who had misappropriated all the funds Catherine gave him for the development of southern Russia, took the Empress on a long trip through the country, showing her model villages and happy, singing populations. While the Empress was resting at chateaux along the road. Prince Potemkin had the villages moved so she was surrounded with a vision of prosperity. When the Tsarina discovered the fraud, years later, she jailed Prince Potemkin, afterwards executing him."