MOSCOW ARRESTS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1933, Page 5

MOSCOW ARRESTS

APOLOGY EXPECTED COLLAPSE OF FIVE YEAR PLAN. (United. Press. Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) .. . LONDON, March 15. Th e ‘'Morning Post’s” political correspondent says that 'Mr' Baldwin >j& making aa (,important statement m the House of Commons to-day on.: ; the sobject of the Moscow arrests. It is - expected that,. an apology will . shortly be forthcoming in tlh-o form oLett .•statement that .the arrests occurred,, without the knowledge of M. Litvonoif, the Soviet Commissary of Foreign u Affairs, who is taking steps to meet. th e • representations .of , v the British Government.

The “Daily Mail” says ; ‘JThetobivious meaning of these arbitrary;.., .arrests ds that the Five Year,mlaiv has collapsed, and that a smoke screen is being erected to conceal .■v-ttliet . truth from the miserable,’ oppressed population of 'Russia, who .are, being made to believe that British treachery has caused their.,,hardships, and not. the incapacity ahd dishonesty of Bolsheviks,

representations .To MOSCOW. BRITAIN .TAKES SERIOUS- VTEW. ' ; ” ‘LONDON, 15. . It 1« understood Sir Esmond Ovey ha« ' made strong , representations, to Moscow about th e secretiyeness \ f>f. the proceedings against the Yicker s einployees, : saying tlhe British. Opyernrnent we r e .taking:, aV ( ,s.erj.9y6, view of • .the case. ' .-<( , The ‘Soviet Foreign Office then said that-.members, of .the .British Embassy ■would be allowed tP visit the prisoners, subject to of the. Soviet being t present, and to no i .reference being made to the..mp,tives, ; of ..the arrests. , ~ ;■ . Sir Esmond, Ovey yis.itjp-d „. the,.- iLub? - anka gaol and conversed with four o* the Iprisoner. vjHe forind coni . 'fprtable and .in normal health. ; t J •,,, anxiety in; BRiTis^ai^ffrEßS. (Received this day at 10.40 a.m.) , ,LONDON,, March, 15. In the Commons Mr Baldwin stated that the Ambassador, at Moscow had been instructed to expr^s,.;,in .strong terms, the Gfoyernmenl’s F gfavet viejv. of the Soviet’s, proceedings against the Yickers employees, whidi it. was convinced wore groundless. The Soviet" authoritisatidh that the Ogpu should conduct trials without restriction, and impose death sentences, has increhsed’ aiixiety in British official quarters, . ' * f ”'’ /

Sir Ehmottd Ovey could ask. prisoners, only whether thgir health, anti' food were satisfactory-- and: tlu'ir ; 'exercise sufficient.