MISS SYLVIA PANKHURST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2180, 23 September 1920, Page 4

MISS SYLVIA PANKHURST.

Miss Sylvia Pankhursl, who does not conceal her extremist views, admilled to a Globe representative in London that she had been in communication with Lenin “on several occasions.” An interview was sough! after the receipt of (lie following message from Washington: —“The State Department announce (hat they have received despatches from Riga announcing that three Bolshevik aeropl.The couriers recently were forced to land in Latvia, and upon them wore’found letters addressed to Lenin and other Bolshevik leaders from Miss Sylvia Paukhurst, Mr Ames Gordon, and Clara Selov. The letters are reported to have extolled the work of 1 lie Bolsheviks, and contained promises from the writers to aid in spreading Soviet propaganda. The couriers were cn route from Konigshcrg.” Miss Paukhurst, however, knows nothing about the incidents mentioned In the message. The last time she wrote to Lenin was at the beginning of the year, and whether she wrote while in England or abroad she cannot remember. “It someone happens to be going to Russia,” she said, “I take the opportunity offered.” Though Miss Paukhurst has written to Lenin and other of the Bolshevik leaders, the totters have all been of a purely friendly nature, as from one leader to another. The statement that the letter found on the courier contained promises of help in Soviet propaganda is, as far as Mi/ can remember, untrue.

“However,” said Miss Paukhurst, “promises of aid from me are not necessary, ns ever since the commencement of the Communist‘movement 1 have been connected with the work, and it would be taken for granted that I should give them help. Writing to the Soviet leaders,” she added, “is not illegal, as far as I know. We are not at war with Russia. Rather the seizure of the letters strikes me as being more out of order.”