RUSSIAN JEWELS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 304, 17 September 1920, Page 7

RUSSIAN JEWELS

KAMENEFF'S ACTIVE CONCERN IN SALE SUBSIDY TO "DAILY HERALD" DISPATCH CONTAINING TERMS FOR POLAND ALTERED By Telograph-Preos Association-OopyrisM ffioc. September IG, 7.15 p.m.) London, September 15. Further light has been thrown on tho realisation of Russian jewels in England. A statement has been published from Downing Street giving the lie direct to several assertions made by Kameneff. Tho Government says it has evidencq that Kameneff was actively concerned in ,tho realisation of the jewels, and informed tho Soviet that .£16,000 worth had bcen\ sold, and the proceeds handed to tho "Daily Herald." Furthermore, it is reported that Kameneff is taking stops to pr-ccurc n further sum of .£OO,OOO, partly from jewels, of which' an additional ,£IO,OOO would be paid to tho "Daily j Herald."

Eoferring to Kamencff's denial that ho ever offered the "Dnilv Herald" a subsidy and tho hitter's denial that it had received a sou, the Government states that it h*s evidence flatly contradicting both statements. Reviewing the "Daily Herald's" denials on tho subject, the Government says it has evidence that Mr. Edgar Lansbury. tho sub-editor, had received part of tho notes given for the jewels at tho time the "Herald" encouraged an affirmative reply to its question "Shall wo take .£75,000 of Russian money?", The Government says it permits itself to doubt whether tho "Daily Herald" would have taken the public into its confidence in this connection but for the fact that it was aware that Edgar Lansbury had been invited by. tho polico to explain how he came to possess some notes forming part of the price realised by the sale of jewels. The stntement proceeds to point out that Kameneff makes no attempt to deny that he deliberately altered tho terms of a dispatch from the Soviet containing the Polish armistice condition to the effect that they would insist on arming Polish workers under the contrcl of representatives of trade unions of Russia, Poland, nnd Norway. The Government asserts that Kameneff concealed tho Soviet intentions under an apparently harmless phrase of "civil militia." _ A remarkable feature of tho disclcsures is tho excellence of tho Government's investigatory agencies, which enabled it to keep closely informed of tho whereabouts of the jewels, to whom they were sold, and how particular notes given in payment were traced through various hands, and tho secret contents of tho Soviet Government's messages to the delegation in England.—Router.

"DAILY HERALD" DECLINES OFFER

London, September 14. The Board of Directors of the "Daily Herald" have declined the offer of .£75,000 from Russia, and have accepted the resignation from the board of Mr. Meynell, who had negotiated the offer. The other directors adopted a resolution declaring that they had no knowledge of tho offer. --Router.