SEQUEL TO ARRESTS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1933, Page 5

SEQUEL TO ARRESTS

SOVIET EMBARGO

BIG DISCUSSION IN COMMONS.

(British Official W’^dess.)

RUGBY, April 5

Extra time was .allotted tp the de 1 - bate in th e House of Commons, on the Bill giving the Government, power to prohibit the importation of Soviet goods, but the, Bill w'l,l be disposed of to-morrow night. Sir John Simon, in moving the second reading, fi aid that the Government de'sii’ed to negotiate a new trading agreement, and the negotiations were proceeding when the very disturbing event occurred. Russia had bought power plant®' from the .Metropolitan Vickers’ Company 1 extensively'- during the fast ten years. Under the technical assistance arrangements,' of' winch the current one had five year s to ru n > the company supplied some of thcii best rrio&t-skilful men, for the purpose of installing, starting, and running the plant;. He then deferred to the arrest of th e British engineers, adding that at the risk of incurring an accusation of prejudicing an issue whereon legal remedy had not been exhausted, the ambassador told the "Soviet Minister that if Ins Governwent wished t<> continue friendly ie lations, thye must refrain,- from drawn by the police into trumped-up and fantastic accusations against n friendly, reputable British. Company. The Soviet answer that., the investigations made... by ,1% internal authorities, -regarding a s-sries of unexpected break downs in .the elect r real station at Moscow, Had -established that the break downs .were the. result fl f the wrecking activities of .criminal .elements, whioee ohj ec! t was c ' stroy the electrical and to put out of operation the pendent upon them. It added’ that the ir.vestfcatjfrn showed active participation by certain employee* of the Metropolitan Vickers C,?mp ( any, Monkhouse, with no charge made against him was submitted to <a ,first examination of 19 hours by three teams of

examiners. ,c.; . . '■... > , After referring to the second examination, lasting for seventeen hours, Sir John Simon said that li. 0 had studied ml any 'of daw, • and am one could dispute that any testimony obt i.ned bv tlie.se means was. rubbish. The Government had not. the slightest desire to sever friendly rel|tipns with Russia, but there‘wa? no basie for .’ really friendly .relation, if the story presented in . the White Paper represented the way in which men who went to that country wore'treated. , irriTd.i, Am, :,j We knew no. way in" which h? cool a secure for these men a fair'trial, but one thing .they could do wan t 0 convince the authorities of the anxiety felt here. ' At any moment the Soviet •hi’d power to stop gobd* coming from this country to them, without a breach of the most-favour.ed-nation clau s e. In th.o interests of these' men, and m order to bring home to the Soviet State th e r€ ' al gravity of the situation, the Government asked in the Bill f° r power which the tfov-iet Government already , had. The Government had not th e slightest intention of making rny statement as t 0 the use of that power, which icopdd not pos s ibly be used .before April IS. If tbm .were nothing else th P House could, do to IheV .British subjects in peril, it at leapt could give the. Government of the country to which these men belonged the authority sought for m the Bill. Sir Stafford Cripprs, following Sir John Simon, moved the' rejection of the Bill, on the ground that the white paper disclosed no e ground to demand the- liberation o the British engineers without trial, or the granting to the Government ot exceptional powers of reprises agams the Soviet Government.,, tiq, said that before 6 u c h extraordinary powers were sought, the citizens should have exercised nil available means of legal redress. The Foreign Office on March 16 really demanded the liberation o* the Britishers without trial, .while S ll A. Van S-ittart informed the Russian ambassador that the allegations the engineers were regarded in London a 3 “grotesque and hysterical, and-stag-ed as part of a hunt for a scapegoat, owing to the ill-success of certain induetriail undertakings in Russia.” I Ins was about a s offensive a statement as could be made to any foreign ambas •• sa dor. It would be in the interest (» the arrested men themselves to treat the matter on a friendly basis insW of working both nations into a. tUte of excitement and -hysteria.

ECONOMIC RETALIATION

CONTINUATION OF DEBATE

LONDON, April 6

lA crowded H°u s e cheered Sir J. S' mon (Foreign -Minister) when he ' rOSH He used no rhetoric. The members were deeply impressed, and listened to him in profound rdle-ncc. It in a long time sin ce there was such tension _at Westminster. Sir J. Simon's jo.ee soared when ho demanded : M hat would you hive *ho Government do when you ’'"own yovr fellow subjoc * are in .peril? igi r J Simon in his speech confirmed tha tCLr Esmond Qvye will jot .be returning t 0 Moscow unless there Is a ’■very"' - unexpected development. -He has taken a three year’s ldase of a flat in Lcrdon. The Rt Hon. Locker Lamp s on askjea why id id .not Labour protest

against the execution of thirty-five Russians without a triad.. He had always protested against the lending of money to Russia. It would have been far bettor to lend it to the Do. minions, who stood by us in th e , war, than to th e Russians, who had stabbed us in the back. Apart from public funds, British citizens had sent two ■hundred and fifty millions to Russia. The president of the Board' of Trade, Rt. Hon. W. C. Runeiman said; "While everyone desires a fair settlement of this precarious business, we must not give away our fellow countrymen’s ■ rights. The staging of sabotage trials is frequent in Russia. A careful search has revealed not a jingle instance of acquittal. Everything has been done to encourage trade with Russia, hut events like this have made it impossible for British firms to tender for business con-

tracts, in view of the risfcs to their .employees in Russia.” The withdrawal of our ambassador would not touch the Soviet Government in any sensitive spot, but the present Bill would empower action which the Soviet would understand. I The Liberal Leader, Si r A. Samuel paid the Liberals approved 0 f energetic representations being made to the Soviet concerning the arrested engineers, but the Liberals hoped the extraordinary powers now being sought would be used solely to secure them .a full measure of justice. Though there was room h e said, for negotiations to secure a better balance of trade with Russia, there was no need to denounce the existing trade agreement. Sir H. 'Samuel sought an assurance (that if the Visitor's prisoners <**e were settled, the embargo Would not bp used. Mr Runciman said; “I canno give a. n undertaking in ndvanc, 3 of events,' but there is no intent,on to use powers to infringe -free trade principle- , On division, the BiU was read a second time, by -347 % «. . The *mueliie Liberals, being d-ssatisfied wit iMr Runciman’,s answer, refused vote. TRIAL of engineers. (Received this day at 10.25 a.m.) ! MOSCOW. April 6. Visbinsky informed Monkhouse that . i| ie dossiers of the urgent,on wouW v3 ady for presentation to counsel ifor the defence to-morrow. It is [ understood the engineers declined the ' court's offer to provide counsel.