ANTI-SOVIET RAID

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1927, Page 2

ANTI-SOVIET RAID

(Australian Press Association & Sun.)

LONDON, May 13

Police have been stationed at the Areas Company’s building (where the Russian Trade Delegation is housed) all day to-dav.

Messages and telegrams for the Company were intercepted and road befote their delivery.

There was a further development tonight. This was the arrival of a contractor's lorry equipped with oxy-aoe-tylene apparatus and gas tubes, which were carried to the ground floor for the purpose of breaking open certain safes that are built into the concrete, the keys of which the officials have declined fn hand over, on the grounds that the Delegation has diplomatic immunity.

It is authoritatively learned that M. T?osonp;olt!c (Soviet representative') is under a misapprehension as to the exact meaning of Clause Five oi the Anglo-Russian Trade Agreement. This clause specifies that the Soviet Trade Delegation’s official agent personally enjoys immunity from arrest and search, hut it does not extend to the offices that are under the agent's control. Furthermore, the authorities declare, immunity is rather a privilege, and is granted specially under the terms of the Agreement. The Soviet Embassy announces that the Ala user rifles discovered in the Arcos Company building were samples of hnntiTig rifles, which the Arcos Company exports under a license from the British Government.

Regarding the latest development in the Arcos Company and Soviet Trade Delegation raid, there was great excitement when the crowd realised that the police wore breaking the safes.

Additional forces of police arrived to escort workmen with picks and shovels to clear the debris caused by the drills. Representatives of firms who built, the safes supervised the operations.

RUSSIAN VIEW. MOSCOW. May 11. The Soviet newspaper “Isvestia” says: The Arcos Coy. raid is the beginning of a realisation of the rupture that was threatened in Sir Arthur Chamberlain’s last note. It deals a blow to the most vital nerve ol the mutual relations. The Soviet hogev is again, raised to create a diversion and to ensure the painless enactmeiit of the Trades Union Bill. It is also a blow to the work of the Economic Conference at Geneva. Britain’s policy is that of a i-upture. Tt Is one pregnant with the danger of grave complications. It is hardly to the liking of the British commercial and financial circles, which will suffer if their Soviet market is lost. The responsibility for this catastrophe will not fall on the Soviet, which consistently has been striving for-peace, hut it will fall entirely on the British Government, which started with a forgery and ends with a pogrom.

FORCING STRONG-ROOMS. LONDON. May 14

After two hours’ work, the police entered the strong-room at the Arcos Coy. building. They found a fable and some chairs, and presumably those were used at secret meetings. The other strong-rooms are now being forced. after which the locked safes will he attacked. The operations are continuing all night long. The Arcos Company, in a statement issued after midnight, says:—“We know no reason for the police action. Tf we had been requested we would, at any time have .produced our papers without the necessity for this melodramatic method.”

BIG LONDON CREDIT. LONDON, Alav 14. The Daily Express says:—Rt. Hon. R. McKenna, us the Chairman of the Midland Bank, signed an agreement on Wednesday with the Soviet Trade Delegation. by which the Bank would grant a credit of ten millions sterling for trade purposes. It is stated that but for the raid negotiations for important orders would have been begun. LONDON, May 13. The Secretary of the Areas Coniiuuy, interviewed as to the raid said: “They will find nothing of importance.”

RUSSI AN STATEMENT. LONDON. Alav 14

The Russian Embassy lias issued a statement that Al. Bogoucloff, the First Secretary was en route to the Russian Trade Delegation’s premises on May ]2h. after the receipt of information of the raid, when lie called at the Foreign Office, where Af. Palairet, Director of the Northern Department, expressed ignorance of the raid. Despite continuous efforts, AT. Rozengoltz was unable to see either Sir A. Chamberlain or any responsible official before May 13th. '

AYliile handling yesterday’s letter to Sir A- Chamberlain, Al. Rozengoltz drew his attention to the fact that the police first seized cipher code documents belonging to Al. Kliintchuk, the official Trade Agent. Such action, combined with the raid on tho Agents’ office, seemed directed to increase the strain on Anglo-Russian relations. Aforcover. the raid was carried out in such a manner that the Interests of the raided institution were ignored. There was, moreover, no guarantee that documents and materials, which the police might allege were discovered on tho premises of tho Trade Delegation wore really there when the raid occurred.

PARIS PRESS AfOVEAIENT, PARIS, Afav 14

The whole of the French Press comments on the raid of tho Arcos Coy. and Russian Trade Delegation. AT. Partineaux, writing in tho Echo do Paris, says:—lt is /possible that the whole Soviet gang will be driven back to their native land.

La Victoirc says:—B.v resisting this post-revolution of Asiatic barbarism. Britain is once mnr» deserving well of civilisation.

La Venir and La Figaro urge France to follow Britain’s lead.

Denver* says:—The Soviet lias shot so many in defence of the principle that, the State’s first duty is to provide for its own safety, as he cannot he surprised if his principle is also valid iq toe West.

STRONG SOVIET PROTEST. LONDON, Alav 13.

AT. Rosengoltz, the Soviet Charge d‘Affaires at London, has sent a letter to Sir Austen Chamberlain (Foreign Secretary), against the raid on the Trade Delegation and Arcos Coy. He says that the premises of the Arcos Coy. and the 1 rude Delegation were occupied by the armed police, although the premises of the Russian Trade Delegation were in accordance with the Trade Agreement in 1921, and confirmed by the Foreign Office in its Note of February lGtli. 1927, which stated that they would enjoy diplomatic immunity. During the raid, an employee of the Russian Trade Delegation, Al. Khudiakov, who had refused to give up the key of a safe containing his personal papers and the cypher codes of the Official Trade Agent, was assaulted By the police, who carried off the post addressed to the Trade Agent, which the couriers had just brought. “These proceedings,” said Af. Rosengoltz, “are a flagrant violation of

Article 5 of the Anglo-Russian Trade Agreement, which provides that the Official Agents shall be at liberty to communicate with their own Government and with other countries, and to receive and despatch Couriers with sealed bags, which shall he exempt from examination. “Moreover, in accordance with Article One of the Trade Agreement, the British Government undertook not to discriminate against such trade as compared with the trade of any other country; hut the very fact of this raid will inevitably injure Anglo-Soviet trade. “Furthermore during the raid, the most elementary guarantees and demands of common decency were violated, and the search was begun before the presentation of the warrant which was only handed to the Assistant Director of the Arcos Cov, At. Sorokin, half an hour after the commencement of the search. All of the t‘nijl lov.-i-i _ both mi'll atiil women. of the Arcos Coy. and the Trade Del ogre-' tion were detained, and were personally searched, including women possessing diplomatic passports. For instance, the wife of the Charge d’Affaires and the w ife of the Financial Attache were .searched. This personal search of the women was carried out by the male police. 1 iuivc informed my Government of all that lias occurred, and, while awaiting their decision and instructions, I protest most emphatically against this violation of the obligations undertaken by the Bri r , tish Government in accordance with the Anglo-Russian Trade Agreement.”