SOVIET GOVERNMENT DISPUTE

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1930, Page 5

SOVIET GOVERNMENT DISPUTE

'• Arbitration court judgment (Official Wireless.) (Received this day s + noon.) J RUGBY, Sept. 2. The Arbitration Court, who have been considering the dispute between the Soviet Government and Lena. Goldifi lie Ids Ltd.; an English Company, gave | judgment to-day that the Company was prevented by the. Russian Government from carrying out their agreement. , Tlie agreement was in deed and the Soviet Government was ordered. to' pay Lena Goldfields Ltd. £13,000,000. This was the considered judgment of the Court, which consisted of Dr. Otto Stutzer," l of Germany, described'as a super-arbitrator, and Sir Leslie Scott, appointed by Lena Goldfields. They sat at the Law Courts, London. 7 .At .the preliminary bearing in, Germany, the Soviet Government was represented, but they have

taken part in the present proceedings. ./ The judgment ran into several thoitsands of words, in the course of which it was emphasised the Russian 'Government had'agreed'te> a clause providing , for arbitration,' and that although their abstention from the proceedings was regrettable, they still remained bound by the clause.* \ 1 The’ Company have Jong had large interestrin Russia and employed about 150,000.■ ’ They complained of various breaches of the agreement, including the failure of the Soviet Government to transfer to -them the whole of the properties referred to in the concession; prevention from selling Lena products in Russian markets; failure to secure: for the Company necessary transport facilities; withholding of permission for the transfer of the Company’s money from Russia to other countries, and faihire to give protection to'the Company’s property from larceny,‘'robbery'and arson.