MRS PETROV’S FEARS FOR HER OWN SAFETY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27397, 9 July 1954, Page 11

MRS PETROV’S FEARS FOR HER OWN SAFETY

(N.Z. Pjess Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, July 8. Mrs Petrov told the Royal Commission into Espionage today that she was afraid that the couriers taking her to Moscow .might have received special instructions “under pretext of an accident” to shoot her. She had tried to obtain an assurance from the Russian Government that nothing would happen to her on her arrival in Moscow, but the assurance never came. Much of Mrs Petrov’s evidence was a full account of her flight from Mascot to Darwin and her final decision to stay in Australia.

Resuming her story, Mrs Petrov said she would prefer to speak in Russian, and'Mr Justice Owen asked her to stop occasionally so that Mr A. H. Birse could interpret “Before leaving Canberra I had to be inoculated,” Mrs Petrov said. “A doctor was called and he gave me injections against cholera about two days before my departure. The doctor said that I would have to have another injection in a week’s time. I told an Embassy official that there would be no time for that.

“I was then told to go to the same doctor with gifts in order to receive from him a certificate to the effect that he had given me both injections. I understand the doctor refused to do so because on the following day another doctor was called to the Embassy and he gave me three injections at the one time—two for cholera and one for smallpox. “I don’t remember the doctor’s name. Every time a doctor came he was accompanied by some of the people in the Embassy. As soon as the injections were made, in a very rude way, I was

sent out of the room. “On April 19, I was to leave Canberra. An hour before departure the Ambassador, Mr Generalov, called me to his study and said: ‘Bear in mind that the couriers are armed. If there are any attempts to force you to stay here on the part of the Australian authorities, they may use their

weapons.’ . ~ „ “The Ambassador said: ‘Your first stop after Darwin will be Singapore. You will not leave the airport or go to any hotels. You will spend the night in the foyer of the aerodrome and you will play cards with the couriers and you will laugh. The couriers and Kislitsin (a second secretary at the Embassy) will not leave the plane m Darwin.”’

Paper Held In Hand At this stage Mrs Petrov appeared to be looking at something in her hand. Questioned by Mr Windeyer and Mr Justice Owen, she said it was a piece of paper on which she had some notes. “If is difficult to speak and say what I want to be understood,” she Continuing her evidence Mrs Petrov said the Ambassador said she could be assured that nothing would happen to Mrs Petrov added: “While still at the Embassy I did not know what had happened to my husband, whether he had stayed or had been, seized, in spite of what was written in the Note from the Department of External Affairs. I told the Ambassador that I wanted to be assured that on my arrival in Moscow nothing would happen to me. I made this request to the Ambassador and he replied that nothing would happen to me and that he woura send a message about this in order to get a guarantee that nothing would happen.” . She continued: “I said I did not want his guarantee, but that of the Government. He said he would ask for the Government’s guarantee. “I also wanted the opinion of Kovalenok (Petrov’s relief). Kovalenok said that, in this case, there were special laws that I should know of and 1 could guess what would happen. He said there were workers’ camps, or possible execution, as the husband, judging by this affair, had left of his own accord.”

Request to Ambassador “Before my departure,” said Mrs Petrov, “I asked the Ambassador if the guarantee he had promised had come. He told me it had not yet been received. I understood and I was very frightened by Ko valenok’s words and by the Ambassador’s reply. “I was also afraid the couriers had received special instructions that at some time and in some country, under pretext of an accident, they would shoot me.” Mrs Petrov said that she had worked until November 3 as secretary and accountant in the Embassy. Her return journey to Moscow had to be free of charge. She would have had to receive her full salary, travelling expenses and an additional 25 per cent, of her salary in Australian pounds for the entire time from when she first crossed the frontier to come to Australia until she recrossed the frontier on her return journey. The Ambassador, Mrs Petrov said, when asked about this arrangement, said several times that there had been no answer from Moscow. An hour before her departure (from Canberra for Mascot) he told her she would receive the money in Moscow. “That caused me to think a thing or two,” she added. Mrs Petrov said that when she left Canberra there were three cars. The first car held Kislitsin and Kovaliev (the Commercial Attache). She was in the second car which left at 1.15 p.m. with the two couriers. To Mr Justice Owen, who asked whether the couriers had come for some mission, Mrs Petrov said they had left Moscow before the case had started, but she understood when the couriers arrived in Canberra that they had come for her. Mrs Petrov said: “When I left the Embassy no official said goodbye to me and that also put me on my guard. On t ? way from Canberra to Sydney they shopped several times. They invited me to have a drink, but all the time I refused because I could not stop crying. Vislykh, who had been sent to try and calm me, insisted that I should drink a little brandy and began to speak to me in what I would call ‘pretty words.’ “We arrived at the aerodrome. I had just v got out of the car when they seized me under both arms. I said to them: ‘Why are you taking me like this, I can walk alone, let me'- go alone.’

“They paid no attention to my words and they continued to drag me along t©- the aeroplane. It was then I lost my shoe. I asked them to pick it up, but they refused. “At that time I had made no decision. I was prepared to go to Moscow, although I did not know what had happened to my husband. “Thefe was little time to think properly of anything. Everything was happening so rapidly. When I entered the aircraft the crowd did all it could to prevent me getting into the plane, and, once. I very nearly fell down, but the captain helped me up and I went inside. When I sat down I began to cry, or rather continued crying. “As soon as I had entered the aircraft I had let the captain know that I wanted to see my husband. About a quarter of an hour later I went back into the ladies* room, but first, in order to avoid-any suspicion by the couriers, I woke one of them and said: ‘Come and watch over me, because the ambassador told you to do so and you are asleep.’ (Laughter.) “The courier came out with me and I spoke to the hostess, who had been very kind' to me, the courier drank some water and returned to his seat. The captain or. perhaps the steward, asked me: ‘Do you want to stay?’ “I said: ‘I am afraid. The couriers are armed.’ He again asked me: ‘Do you want to stay?’ I asked: ‘Can you help me?’ He said ‘Yes.’ “I said: ‘Bear in mind they will shoot.’ He said: ‘You don’t have to worry. Everything will be in order.’ “When the plane landed at Darwin the passengers were asked to leave the aircraft first. I don’t quite know why When I left the aircraft I saw that everyone was standing separately and surrounded by police or someone in green,” Mrs Petrov resumed. “At that time Mr Leydin approached me and said he was a representative of the Australian Government, and that he wanted to know my wishes—did I wish to stay or continue my journey? “We spoke, I think, for about two

hours. I said nothing to him at that time about wanting to stay, but I did say that I could not leave my parents. This talk ended in nothing. He asked me whether I wanted to continue speaking to him and I said ‘yes.’ I asked his permission to approach my travelling companions. The patrol had already left them. I approached them and we all went into the hall at the aerodrome. Talk to Husband

“My companions did not ask me what I had been talking about, but they understood what it was about. We stood in’ the foyer for about two hours. When the crew was going on to the aircraft very quickly I was called to the telephone. “I spoke to my husband by telephone from downstairs. My travelling companions stood close to me. When 1 lifted the receiver I heard my husband’s voice, but at the moment I was extremely careful. I said nothing but

listened to what he had to say. I dia not let the couriers know anything because I kept saying—‘No,’ ‘That,’ ‘Not,’ ‘He,’ ‘No,’ ‘No.’ “That was the whole of the conversation, but from my husband’s talk I understood that I would never see my parents. When I finished the conversation I left the room and made as if to go towards the aircraft. At that moment Mr Leydin again asked me if I wanted to speak to him. I said I did and we quickly entered the room in which I had been talking before because already my fellow travellers had left it. “I then said: ‘I am- staying.’ Mr Leydin asked me to sign a statement that I was staying here of my own free will. I told him I would not sign it before seeing my husband. I was afraid that I might stay in Australia all alone and without a penny. I don’t know why, but I was permitted not to Sign it “I was put into a car with Mr Leydin and two other persons, apparently officials, and we drove to Government House, Darwin. Mrs Petrov said that on the following day, April 21, Mr G. R. Richards (Deputy Director of Security) and other officers arrived in. Darwin. Mr Richards again asked her to sign a statement, but she repeated what she had said to Mr Leydin. She signed the statement in Sydney on April 22 or 23.

Typing- at Embassy - Mrs Petrov told Mr Windeyer that the small piece of paper which was referred to earlier contained notes in her handwriting. The piece of paper was tendered as an exhibit. Mr Windeyer: May I have exhibit “J,” please? He then handed exhibit “J” towards Mrs Petrov. Mr Hill objecting, said that Mr Windeyer had alleged that his client was the author of the document; Mr Windeyer had proposed to lead evidence about the document. It was impossible without seeing it to determine their rights. He was working in the dark about the documents. Mr Hill said he intended to test the constitutional validity of the commission. He said the commission should not proceed with the evidence. Mr Justice Owen: “We overrule your objection and we are still considering question of publishing documents we consider are scandalous. Under no consideration will we publish what we consider the scandalous parts of the document which could do damage to dozens and. dozens of people.” He told Mr Hill that the commission had been appointed ta inquire, and it would ask questions, of a great number of people and “documents would not be shown to all of them.” Mr Hill suggested that the hearing should not proceed so that he could test the constitutional rights. Mr Justice Owen: Now proceed, Mr Windeyer.” Mrs Petrov said she saw the document being typed in the consular room in the Soviet Embassy in Canberra. Mr Windeyer: Who was typing it?— Mr Lockwood was typing it. Do you see him in Court? Mrs Petrov looked carefully around the Court and asked whether she could get down from the witness box. She walked along the back of the bar table and pointed to Mr Lockwood, who was seated opposite his counsel. Mr Justice Owen: You say you saw the man typing in the Embassy. Was it all in one day?—Three days. Possibly 12 or 15 hours altogether. It’s very difficult to say now. Mr Windeyer: Did he live at the Embassy or come every day?—He was living in one of the hoteli He came to. the Embassy each day? —Yes. Mr Justice Owen: What happened to, the paper he was typing each day? Mrs Petrov: Antonov (Tass representative) put it in the safe. Mr Windeyer: Did you know anything about money? Mrs Petrov: Antonov gave him money for travelling, then gave him ‘ £3O when he finished the work, and several bottles of what I think was

brandy. Mr Windeyer: Do you know where Antonov got the money? Mrs Petrov: From me. I gave it him out of the M.V.D. cash box. To further questions Mrs Petrov said she typed out a statement to Moscow for Antonov from which she learned that Lockwood did not want to take the money, but Antonov persuaded him, saying “You had expenses.” Lockwood said, “All right, I’ll take it for as much as I shall spend. The rest I shall return to you.” The commission adjourned until tomorrow.