RAID WRANGLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 114, 17 May 1927, Page 7

RAID WRANGLE.

jpCOUR QUESTIONS.

mome Secretary Explains L Search of Soviet.

f 'OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT,

(British Official Wireless.) — ' .1 - (Roeeivcil 12.n0 p.m.) RUGBY, May 16. Sir William Joynson Hicks, Home Secretary, made a statement in the jjouse of Commons regarding the Search of the premises of the Areos (Company. He said: "Information sent to me on Wednesday last l>v tlie Secretary for jjVar, satisfied me that a certain official document was. or had been improperly jn the possession of a person employed the premises of the Arcos Co. "The document bore in its face a statement that it was the property of J Bis Majesty's Government and was not ■Ito be circulated either directly or in4 directly to the Press or to any person iiofc holding an official position in His Majesty's service. ; "It was, in fact, a document of which .fntauthorised persons were known to be attempting to obtain copies. ( Search Warrant Obtained. 7 "In view of that information I consulted the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, and with their knowledge and assent I authorised the police /to apply to a magistrate for a warrant under the Official Secrets Act to search /Jhe premises of Arcos, Ltd. "The building is shared by Arcos, (ltd., and the Trade Delegation. The (and there is free inter-communication -{throughout the building. * "The warrant accordingly authorised a jlearch of the premises occupied by Arcos, ;Xt., and the Trade Delegation. The search only came to an end at 12 o'clock , Jgst night. ' "The document in question was not jfound, but the police have taken possession of certain papers and examination pf these papers is still proceeding." 1 Replying to a large number of questions from Labour members the Home . (Secretary promised to make a fuller [Statement on Thursday, and to give an for debate if desired. He denied that any woman was parched. Only the handbags of female jpnployees were searched. He was satisfied the missing official llocuments were in the Arcos building jtefore he applied for a search warrant. ) Debate on Thursday. ' ! t Replying to Mr. Arthur Henderson i]{L&b., Burnley) the Home Secretary /Said he hoped to make a fuller statement in a few days. If the Opposition desired to question conduct of himself and the Governjnent the usual means were open. Mr. Lloyd George said whether the documents were fotind or not, it was •* grave matter and ought to be discussed. . •' Mr., G. Lansbury (Lab., Poplar) hskeds Does Sir Wm. Joynson-Hicks 'definitely state that the missing document was stolen by someone connected i'Jdrith Arcos ? Sir Wm. Joynson-Hicks: I said I was ; Satisfied the document certainly had fteqn in possession of Arcos. At question time Commander Locker Jiampson said in the trade agreement ,;with the Soviet Government the latter {recognised its debts to Britain but 'later issued a statement that they did Ifcot consider themselves bound by the . Agreement.

Neither the Russian Trade Delegation J |n London nor its staff or premises had enjoyed diplomatic immunity, but they 'jen joyed certain privileges mentioned in !she trade agreement.