TWO RELEASED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 131, 15 March 1933, Page 5

TWO RELEASED

BRITISH ARRESTED IN MOSCOW. MEN ACCUSED OF SABOTAGE. CONCERNING ELECTRIC PLANT. (United Press Association—Copyright). LONDON, March 14..-. ( Mr Alan Monkhouse, an engineer of Metropolitan Vickers, who was arrested in Moscow with five others and a number of Russians, has been released conditionally. He is not allowed to leave Moscow. Mr Charles Nordwell, who was arrested, has also been released conditionally. There is intense indignation through? out England. Replying to a question in the House of Commons, Mr Stanley Baldwin said that the Foreign Secretary was already in • communication with the British Ambassador at Moscow on the subject. He could say nothing further at present. A British United Press message states that the police allege that the Vickers employees took part in sabotage and plotted to wreck electric power stations throughout the Soviet Union. In all six Englishmen and 25 Russians were arrested,' the additional Englishmen being Mr Charles Nordwall and Mr Gregory, both .belonging to Vickers - The Russians included a woman. The text of the Russian police statement is as follows: .. ' ''lnvestigation of the series, of unexpected and consecutive accidents , recently in big electrical power stations at Moscow, Cheli-abinsk, Zuvesk and Zlatovsk revealed that they were due to the sabotaging activities of a group of criminal elements among the employees of the Commissariat of Heavy Industry, who set themselves the task of destroying the electrical power system of the Soviet Union and bringing to a halt the enterprises it serves. The investigation disclosed that certam employees of the English firm of Metropolitan Vickers, who were working in the Soviet Union on the basis of an agreement for technical aid to.electrical enterprises, were also engaged, in these • The Moscow correspondent of ; the s 'Manchester Guardian" says that Vickers Company's Leningrad offices were also raided. Thosef arrested will probably be charged with. some kind ot espionage. The Soviet Press makes no mention of the affair. - ' - Mr Monkhouse and Mr Thornton were dining when the police agents entered the house and placed them under arrest. Mr Cushv and Mr Macdonald were arrested at the former's flat some hours later. - _ , .;. ,V;

TREATED WITH POLITENESS. MR MOKKHOUSE'S EXPERIENCE. "YOU ARE AN HONEST FELLOW." (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) MOSCOW, March 14. Mr Monkhouse was detained at Lubianka Prison, controlled by the Sov, iet Secret Police. He was allowed to keep his clothes, with the exception ot his tie and braces, and was confined m a large cell in which were a table and O G P.U. agents told hinij after interrogation: "We think you are an honest' bellow." They returned his papers and conducted: him- to a car, shaking hands. Mr Monkhouse's colleagues are still imprisoned; Mr Monkhouse, interviewed, described the charge of sabotage as ridiculous'. The O.G.P.U. treated him with extraordinary v politeness, but he was questioned for several hours. Mr Monkhouse is conferring with Sir Esmond Overy regarding future steps. Sir Esmond is interviewing the other ■ arrested men later to-day. The arrested Russians include M. Gartenstein (chief engineer .of the AllSoviet Electric Union), M. Krashemkoff (engineer), and M. Zhilken (manager) of the electric station. Two RussiptfS employed by Vickers. in Ukraine left for Moscow on February 24, and have not been heard of since. _•,,.. y.;. Ten of the company's British held engineers in the interior have failed to reply'tp- telegraphed inquiries from Moscow regarding their welfare. NO REPLY TO AMBASSADOR. NO OPPORTUNITY FOR DEFENCE. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, March 14. No satisfactory reply has yet been received to the representations to the 'Soviet by Sir Esmond Overy (British Ambassador in Moscow). _ London has not been informed of the specific charge against the arrested men, apart from the general reference to sabotage. . The Embassy officials will be permits ted to visit the prisoners in the presence of Soviet officials, provided no. reference is mad/} to the affair. Sir Esmond Overy is continuing" nr-. cent inquiries and is likely'strongly to protest f the Soviet further withholds. S-ecte information. The Embassy has Sot even been advised where the four unreleased men are imprisoned. J hey have been given no facilities to prepare their defence. STATEMENT BY THE COMPANY. NO GROUNDS FOR ARRESTS. (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, March 14. • In a statement the Metropolitan Vickers Company says it is unable to account for the arrests of its officials in Moscow. During the last ten years

the company has had continuous business dealings with the Russian Government and has supplied large quantities of electrical machinery and other apparatus, and dealings between the Soviet and the company have been satisfactory in every way. It has been a rigid rule of the company that every employee must concern himself solely with trade and have nothing whatever to do with political and allied matters. Pending developments, the company is confident a mistake has been made and that'there are no grounds for action by the authorities in Moscow.—British Official Wireless. AMBASSADOR SEES PRISONERS. GOOD HEALTH AND SPIRITS. (Received This Day, I.IR p.m.) MOSCOW, March 14. ' Sir Esmond Overy called on the remaining prisoners and conversed with them in English. He found them in good health and spirits. Mr Monkhouse declares that he was given anything he wanted, including caviare, from the best hotels.. Espionage was not mentioned during his interrogation. • ;■■:■"" '"' "-

"ABSOLUTELY BASELESS," VICKERS' VIEW OF, CHARGES ', (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, March 14. The Vickers Company in a statement said it was satisfied that the O.G.P.U's charges were absolutely baseless. The company was still confident that the authorities in Moscow had made a mistake. IN EVENT OF RECALCITRANCY. PRESSURE SHOULD BE APPLIED. (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, March 14. v The "Daily Mail,', in. a leading article, urges that if the Soviet is recalcitrant, Britain should apply pressure by arresting the multitude of Soviet subjects at present in Britain, including agents of the 0.G.P.U., and deporting them, unless they are required as hostages for the prisoners' safety, also by an embargo on imports which the Soviet is still dumping in Britain, and by termination of the export credits on which Russia is certain to default sooner or later. The "Mail" says that if Britain makes it clear that she means business the prisoners will be released with compensation and apologies. Nothing less would be acceptable.